Star vs The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!
by jolleIQ
Summary: The sequel series to 'My Star'. With that little adventure behind them, Star and Marco are back on Earth, where they'll be facing new dangers, having new adventures, meeting new friends and enemies, and uncovering dark secrets that will lead them to discover a shocking truth. Also, they will stumble upon a certain someone who might just change their lives.
1. Chapter 1, Part 1

**A/N: I'm back! You guys remember how I mentioned that I would be starting a 'series', which will take place after the events of 'My Star'? Well, here's the first 'episode'! I've also decided to approach things differently with this fanfic. Instead of posting long chapters, I'll be posting shorter ones, around 2-3k words on average (not including the Author's notes) , and some 'Episodes' will be divided into several parts. Also. I'll include several references from season 2.  
**

 **RELATIVELY IMPORTANT:**

 **For those of you who don't know yet, I've created Tumblr and DeviantArt accounts, where I'll post progress updates and pictures of my OCs as I finish them, and also a few other things. Comet and Prince Shining (the latter from the prequel 'My Star') are already done, so if you wanna know what they look like, just go to my profile on and follow the link I posted there. Both my Tumblr and DeviantArt have the username 'jolleIQ'. If you have any requests, PM me here or on either one of those accounts, and I'll see what I can do. But, fair warning, I'm no artist.  
**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Episode 1:**

 **Comet visits Earth!  
**

 **Part 1**

It was another quiet and peaceful morning in the Diaz household. Marco was tenderly sleeping in his bed, getting some much-needed rest for the oncoming day. The door opened on the other side of the room, a figure creeping in and silently closing the door. It tiptoed over to him and stood there, staring at him. Slowly, it reached into its back pocket and took out an object, then smirked viciously as it reached for Marco's head.

 _ ***BBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTT***_

"Sweet cheese and nachos!" Marco yelped and sprang out of bed, hitting the floor, face first. He groaned and rolled over, his eyes half lid, and was met by an all too familiar sight.

"Marco!" Star exclaimed, smiling brightly and staring at him, her face mere inches away from his. "Happy 12-day anniversary!" she exclaimed with pure excitement. The girl then pointed the air horn she was holding at him, and blew it again. Marco covered his ears and closed his eyes, the deafening sound being too much for him. _Not again!_ he thought.

Once the noise was over, he frowned and snatched the air horn away from Star, who looked at him curiously.

"Star!" Marco yelled, "We've been over this! There's no need to celebrate an anniversary _every..._ _single... day!_ " he explained while waving his hands.

"Don't be silly! Of course, there is!" Star excitedly spoke. She smirked at him, "And besides, don't pretend you don't like it!"

"I don't!" the boy declared. "Plus, my face is starting to hurt from this!" he added.

"Kids, breakfast is ready!" Mrs. Diaz yelled from the downstair's kitchen.

"Coming!" Star yelled back and looked at Marco, who was still lying on the floor. "C'mon Marco! Gotta get it while it's hot!" she stated and rushed out of his room and downstairs, eager to get some food into her stomach.

Marco stood up and walked over to his drawer, from which he took out his trademark clothes, a red hoodie, and blue jeans, and a pair of sneakers. He put them on and went over to the mirror. He combed his hair.

Ever since they'd gotten back from Mewni, Star kept acting as if nothing had ever happened, and things were still the same as they always were, with one exception; Star being Star, decided to shift their relationship to full gear from day 1!

Yep, the hyperactive, undisciplined, unpredictable, childish, silly, and curious Star was back.

Marco smiled. _Perfect._

The boy went downstairs to join the rest of his family for breakfast.

"Finally!" Star exclaimed, upon seeing him enter the kitchen. He took his place next to her. "What took you so long, sleepyhead?"

"I had to change out of my pajamas, duh!" The boy replied. Mrs. Diaz placed two plates, with food, in front of them. "And besides; it's Saturday! What's the hurry?" he asked. Marco then picked up his fork and ate a piece of bacon.

"Exactly! It's Saturday! And you know what that means?" Star asked, crossing her arms. " _No School_!" she exclaimed. "Which in turn, means that I don't have to spend my day sitting behind some boring old desk and listening to some boring old teacher talking about some boring, useless stuff... So there's no time to lose!"

"Or, in your case, spend the day in detention," Marco smirked, earning a glare from Star.

"Hey! It's not my fault that Miss Skullnick doesn't understand the term 'fun'!" Star argued.

"No," Marco began, "But it _is_ your fault for not obeying the school rules!"

"Um, because they're dumb!" Star exclaimed, then took a bite out of her toast, "I mean seriously, what's the point of sitting in a room with, like, 30 people, if I can't talk to any of them!"

"Because it would make a lot of noise and nobody would pay attention to what the teachers are saying?" Marco suggested, raising an eyebrow. "I don't get why you hate learning so much, and I'm not talking about just school; I haven't seen you practise any new spells lately. I know you just recently got that thing working again, but don't you think it'd be useful to-"

"Pfff!" Star waved her hand, "I can do magic just fine! I don't need any more boring practice." She confidently stated.

Marco sighed. "Alright, if you say so..." he muttered.

The two dismissed the argument and were about to continue eating breakfast but heard the snickering of Marco's parents. They turned to look at them, and both quickly ceased doing so and tried their best to seem casual, Marco's father raising his newspaper, and his mother continuing to squeeze oranges.

"Um, is... something wrong?" Marco inquired, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

Mrs. Diaz sighed and smiled, knowing she'd been caught. "Well," she finally began, "Your father and I just think you two look so adorable right now!"

The two teens blushed. Marco glared at his mother. "Mom!"

"I'm sorry, dear," she jokingly apologised.

"What your mother is trying to say, son," his father spoke up, lowering his newspaper, "Is that the two of you remind us of ourselves when we were younger." the man explained.

"Really?" Star asked, curious.

"Yep! We still remember the days when we kept getting into pointless arguments, _all the time_!" Mrs. Diaz emphasized and looked at her husband, who chuckled.

"No offence, mom," Marco began, "But I and Star have kinda been like this from day 1," the boy stated. Star nodded, confirming his statement.

"Hmm, I wonder why..." Mrs. Diaz sarcastically muttered, then placed four glasses of orange juice on the table, before taking a seat and eating with the rest.

"So," Marco's father spoke up, "What do you two have planned for today, hmm? Anything exciting?"

Marco swallowed his food and shrugged. "Dunno," the boy admitted, drank some orange juice, and looked at Star. "You wanna do something in particular or...?"

"Hmm..." Star thought.

Marco's phone rang, so the boy took it out from his pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

 ***phone chatting***

"Sure! We'll be there! Just tell us when."

 ***phone chatting***

"A-alright. We'll finish breakfast and head over. See ya in a bit," Marco finished and hung up.

"Who was it?" Star asked.

"Jackie called to ask us if we wanted to hang out at the skate park today, with the rest of the crew. Apparently, this famous skater named Toby Falcon is coming and is going to teach people how to do his tricks!" Marco explained.

"Sounds neat! Count me in!" Star exclaimed and stood up from the table. "Let's go!"

"Woah, there!" Marco raised his arms defensively. "Let's finish breakfast first, alright?"

Star nodded and sat back down.

"Just be careful, alright?" Mrs. Diaz voiced her concern. "I don't want either of you getting hurt."

Marco frowned. "We fight monsters on an almost daily basis, and you're worried about us going to the skate park?"

"I'm your mother! It's my job, to be concerned!" Mrs. Diaz stated.

"But why-" Marco pointed a finger at her, then sighed deeply, seeing that he wouldn't get very far. "Alright, we'll be careful," he promised. Mrs. Diaz smiled. A few minutes of silence passed, and the two teens were nearly done with their breakfasts.

Marco's father suddenly grumbled while reading the newspaper. He looked angry.

"What's wrong?" Star inquired.

"Huh?" Mr. Diaz uttered. "Wha- oh, nothing, dear. I just can't read this darn text because it's printed stupidly small..." the man explained.

"Well if you'd go to the eye doctor, then maybe you wouldn't have that problem," Marco's mother stated.

Mr. Diaz frowned and took out a pair of glasses from his pocket. "I already have a pair of glasses! But they don't help me, at all!" he put them on and tried reading the text. "I can't make anything out!" he exclaimed.

"Um, dad," Marco began, "You do know that your eyesight changes over time, right? Meaning that you need new glasses, every now and then," the boy explained.

"You should really just go to the eye doctor," Mrs. Diaz added.

"But the waiting time is outrageous! Last time I went, I had to pitch a tent and sleep outside for two days!" the man exclaimed.

"Fret not, Marco's dad!" Star spoke up and pointed her wand towards him. "I'll have your eyesight fixed in a flash!"

Marco shot her a panicked look, "Star! Wai-"

"Super duper perception blast!" Star shouted before Marco could stop her. Her wand glowed bright green as it shot a beam of light at Mr. Diaz, hitting him in the face.

Moments later, the man rubbed his eyes and looked at the newspaper, then smiled. "Hey! I can read it now!" He picked his newspaper up and continued reading. "Gracias, Star!"

Marco blinked a few times in disbelief. "Wait, it worked?" he asked Star, who smiled proudly.

"It sure did! I can see better than ever!" Mr. Diaz proclaimed, then dropped his smile. "Oh, by the way, Marco, you might wanna be careful when standing up from the table."

The boy, who's just finished his meal and was about to do precisely that, shot his father a curious look. "What, why-" he was interrupted when he tripped over one of the laser-eyed puppies and bumped his knee into one of the table legs. "Ouch!" Marco yelled.

"That's why!" His father stated. The man then looked at his wife. "Oh, honey, I'd advise you to duck!"

"Alright?" the woman was confused about his random comment. "But, what's that gonna-" she stopped mid sentence as a frisbee flew through the open window and hit her in the back of the head.

" _Sorry!_ " A Voice from outside shouted. Mrs. Diaz rubbed the back of her head.

Marco shot his father a curious look. "Wait, how did you-" Marco wondered, then thought about Star's exact words. "Star," Marco looked at her, sceptically. "Do you know what the word 'perception' means?"

"It means having the ability to see! Duh!" Star happily replied and rolled her eyes.

Marco sighed and stood up. "I'm gonna have to buy you a dictionary..." he muttered. "Anyway, let's go. The guys are waiting for us." Marco stated.

"Have fun you two!" Marco's father told the two teens as they were about to head outside. "Oh, and Marco, don't-"

"Bye!" the boy exclaimed and slammed the door behind himself and Star, not interested in knowing yet another misgiving.

 _With Star and Marco  
_

The young couple was walking down the street. Marco frowned at Star and crossed his arms. "You know, you could've warned me before you-"

The boy way interrupted by a strange cutting sound. Both him and Star turned their heads towards it and noticed a dimensional portal opening.

"Were you expecting someone?" Marco asked Star. She shook her head, then pointed her wand at the open portal, ready to defend herself should it be someone hostile.

The portal remained dormant for a few moments, making the two fell more and more tense.

Marco spotted a small shape emerging from the portal. Once it was fully out, he stared at it curiously; it was a small, white wolf, no larger than both of his palms put together, with a pair of small wings on its back. Its coat was as white as snow, aside from its light blue, fluffy tail. It had eyes of the same colour. On its forehead was a light blue V-shaped symbol with a dot in it. It was also covered in blue stripes.

Star lowered her wand and widened her eyes. She bore a look of anticipation as she stared at the portal.

Moments later, a girl exited the portal, which closed behind her.

"What the-" Marco muttered upon spotting the girl, then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

Upon first glance, she could easily be mistaken for Star! Her face was nearly identical, albeit a bit broader than Star's. Her skin tone was also a tad darker. On her left cheek, she had a cartoonishly-drawn shooting star with a blue, red and green trail. Her eyes were of a cyan green colour, and on top of her head she wore a pink headband similar to Star's, with cat ears instead of devil horns. Her yellow hair was tied back into a simple ponytail.

The boy then looked at her clothing. She was wearing a short ocean light blue tank top, the letters 'BG' imprinted on it, and a short skirt. On her feet, she wore a pair of simple white socks with a red line on them, and blue sneakers with grey caps. Marco noticed that she was a bit taller than Star, but not by much.

Smiling brightly, the girl approached Star and Marco. She crossed her arms and smirked upon seeing the stunned expression on Star's face.

"Is this how you welcome your favourite cousin?" she asked Star, with a sarcastic voice.

 _She even sounds like Star!_ Marco thought, then raised an eyebrow and looked at Star, "Cousin? Star, who-"

" **Comet!** " Star enthusiastically shouted and practically leapt off of her feet. She rushed over to the girl and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly, a content smile on her face. "Big Hugs!" Star cheerfully exclaimed. Comet returned the hug, albeit with less strength, and chuckled.

"That's more like it!" she joked. The two girls kept hugging as Marco stood there, slowly getting an idea of what was happening.

After a good minute or so, Star felt something pulling her dress. She looked down and saw that it was the small wolf, gripping her leg in an attempt to get her attention. Star broke the hug and knelt down. She picked the creature up and nuzzled its nose with her own.

"Cosmos! Look at how big you've gotten! Yes, you have!" Star exclaimed. The small wolf responded by barking happily and licking her cheek. With a smile, Star handed him over to Comet, who held him tightly. He was wiggling his tail. "I can't believe you brought him with you!" Star exclaimed.

"And leave him at home, when you like him so much? No way!" Comet replied. Both girls laughed.

"Oh God, there's two of them..." Marco commented from the side.

"It's so good to see you again." Star spoke, "I wish you could have come to my wedding."

"Yeah, well, you know how it is..." Comet shrugged, "It's not that I didn't wanna come. I've just been _soooo_ busy lately. I swear, unless you do something yourself, it's not gonna get done, at all!" Comet sighed. "Oh well, I'm here now! And while we're on this topic..." she smirked and looked at Marco, who suddenly became alarmed. Star also turned to look at him "Care to introduce me to your little, _special someone_?"

Star scratched the back of her head and blushed from embarrassment. Marco's reaction was similar.

The two girls, Comet still holding Cosmos, walked over to Marco, the former nudging to his side and taking the boy's hand. "Comet, this is Marco-" Star said while pointing at the boy. "Marco, this is my cousin, Comet-" Star told the boy while pointing at her.

"A pleasure to meet you!" Comet cheerfully stated while putting Cosmos down, then offered Marco a handshake, which he gladly accepted. "The name's Comet Dragonfly, Princess of Vesperia. As you've just heard, I'm Star's cousin, from her father's side. And this little guy is Cosmos," the wolf barked twice.

"Marco Diaz. I'm Star's b-" Marco stopped mid-sentence, then cleared his throat. "Um, _Best Friend_!" He awkwardly finished, earning a disapproving glare from Star, who stomped her foot.

"Oh, from what I've heard, you are _way_ beyond being just that!" Comet smugly commented, narrowing her eyes mischievously. Marco nervously chuckled. Comet looked at Star, "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said he was adorably shy."

"I'm what now!" Marco demanded, glaring at Star. The latter looked away and giggled.

Comet shook her head. "Anyway," she snapped her fingers, causing a wand to appear in front of her. It was about the size of Star's wand, however, it looked completely different. Instead of a star it had a pink heart-shaped focusing crystal with two purplish spikes on its side, and magenta handle with a red ruby on the bottom. "Like it? I got it after graduation!"

While Star's 'oohed' upon seeing it, Marco raised an eyebrow.

"You have a wand, too?" he curiously asked.

"Duh! Of course, she does!" Star exclaimed. "All princesses have wands, dummy!"

"How was I supposed to know that!?" Marco protested. The boy then looked at Comet. "Say," he began, "How old are you?"

"Sixteen, why?" Comet replied.

"If you're a princess, then shouldn't you've had to get married already, like Star? Just wondering." Marco explained.

"Oh, no no no!" Comet shook her head, "That's a Mewman tradition. We Vesperians don't have that, so there's no rush for me to get married, quite yet." Comet explained, raising a finger.

"Not that **I'm** gonna complain about it..." Star shyly commented. Comet smirked upon seeing Marco's startled reaction.

Marco then thought about her words and notices something odd. "Um, mind if I ask you something?"

"Ask away!" Comet cheerfully replied.

"You said you got that thing after graduation, right?" Comet nodded. "Well, what did you graduate? I thought princesses don't have to attend school."

"Oh, you know, the Grand Wizard Academy." Comet casually replied as if it were nothing special.

"Academy!" Marco exclaimed, amazed.

Comet nodded. "Yep! I and magic have always gotten along, pretty well! My teachers were amazed at how easily I mastered new spells, so they sent me to the GWA after my mo-" Comet stopped, her breath caught. She looked to the side, wistfully. Marco raised an eyebrow and looked at Star, who also bore a similar expression.

After a brief period of silence, she looked up again, trying her best to smile. "So yeah, they put me there and I ended up skipping several grades; graduated last year and have been extremely busy ever since." She explained, her voice much fainter than before.

"Busy with what?" Marco followed up, intrigued.

"Due to my proficiency in magic, I'm usually the one who has to investigate and take care of magical anomalies. Also, since my dad hasn't been feeling well lately, and I'm the heiress to the throne, he often relies on me to settle diplomatical disputes, which mainly involves going to some boring meetings and watching a bunch of stuck-up dandies arguing like a group of monkeys, only to achieve nothing at the end of the day *sigh*, just politics, I guess..."

"Wow!" Marco uttered, impressed. "Sounds rough," he added.

Comet smiled and struck a confident pose. "Meh, nothing I can't handle!"

"She's a proudulugy!" Star cheerfully exclaimed.

"Um," Marco raised an eyebrow at Star "You mean _prodigy_?"

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far!" Comet stated, seeming embarrassed by the statement. "Anyway, I managed to get a few days off, so I decided to visit you and the soon-to-be King of Mewni. Heard Earth is a pretty great place!"

"Oh yeah, it suits me really well! It's exactly my style!" Star exclaimed. "The people are really nice, too! Marco and I were actually headed to the skate park to meet up with our friends. Wanna join us?"

"Sure! If they won't mind, that is," Comet stated, seeming a bit reluctant.

"Nah, they're cool," Marco stated. "But I do wanna ask you a few things," he added.

"Sure thing! But don't interrogate me too much, alright?" Comet joked. "Let's walk and talk; just lead the way!" Comet exclaimed. Cosmos barked and wiggled his tail apparently understanding human language. The group began making the way to the park.

 **End of Part 1!**

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:  
**

 **And we're done with chapter one! Tell me what you think of it!  
**

 **And again, visit my Tumblr or DeviantArt if you wanna see what Comet looks like. I tried my best but I'm no artist. The links to both can be found on my profile. I'll be announcing updates on my Tumblr, btw, since I'm not sure when exactly those will be! College life doesn't really offer you a lot of free time!**

 **Well, until then! Bye!**

 **Expected Update: TBA**


	2. Chapter 1, Part 2

**A/N: Hello! It's been awhile but I updated this. Like I mentioned in the previous chapter, I'm currently busy with my studies, so I've been devoting less time to writing. Nevertheless, I tried my best to complete this chapter ASAP, and I hope you'll like it! Oh, I also managed to complete another picture. This time, it's a 'Starco' one; a very specific moment from my previous fanfic, to be more precise. If you want to, check it out and tell me what you think of it. Fair warning, I'm no artist.  
**

 **I'm also going to indirectly reply to a certain message I got. Now, I'm no genius with grammar, far from it, but I got a PM asking me to improve my spelling of certain words. I was, as you can imagine, very confused since I have started double-checking my spelling (not structure). So, here's the part that I laughed about, and I do apologise for doing so; The person complained that I kept repetitively misspelling words like 'colour' and similar. I'd hate to break it to you but, both 'color' and 'colour' are correct, the only difference being that 'color' is American English and 'colour' is English English. I prefer to spell it the 2nd way, and I don't wanna sound like a hypocrite or anything, I just find that form much fancier, but I also spell some words in American English. I do understand the confusion, not everyone is familiar with it, heck, most of my classmates back in high school weren't! I'm just making sure that everyone understands why I spell some words with 'u's.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:  
**

 **Guest Sorta: Easy there, partner! I have everything planned out, and everything will be connected to "My Star" since this is the sequel!**

 **Rock Raider: I designed Comet that was for a good reason, which will be revealed, in time! And about Jackie; this is the sequel series, which, as I mentioned before, will be more lighthearted and with less drama. Don't worry, everything will fall into place, in time!  
**

 **Princess: I did what now? Brown hai- oh, um, my bad. I'm gonna have to fix that, didn't even notice it! But he has blonde hair, not brown. And I've seen all the Episodes, but I have my own theory about what's going on... We'll just have to wait and see.**

 **ElleFreak: You're gonna be the first to find out where I'm going with this :P.**

 **Gorbebe: I did try my best to design her. She is going to play a vital role in this fanfic.**

 **theRevil: Call me stupid but I have no idea what a Mary Sue is xD. And I'll develop her character, no worries. Also, about the whole Sonic OC thing, read what's written below.**

 **GENERAL REPLY:**

 **A lot of you have pointed out that Comet is designed in a similar fashion to characters from Sonic The Hedgehog. Well, I've never actually watched that show, nor have I played any of the games! All I know about Sonic is that he's a blue hedgehog who can run fast and that there's some black hedgehog and a pink one, whose names I don't even know! I was actually surprised and confused upon reading these reviews. I designed Comet the way I did for completely different reasons, which will come into play, later on. Just wanted to make this clear.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!  
**

 **Episode 1:**

 **Comet visits Earth!**

 **Part 2**

"Wow!" Marco exclaimed, widening his eyes. He, Star, and Comet, the latter still holding her pet wolf, Cosmos, were walking towards the park, where they would meet up with their friends and watch a professional skateboarder show off his skateboarding-knowledge. To make good use of the time, Marco was asking Comet several questions, all of which the girl was eager to answer, without any hesitation whatsoever. Her last answer had gotten that reaction out of Marco.

"So lemme get this straight," Marco spoke with an impressed voice. "You singlehandedly closed an expanding wormhole that was threatening to suck in the entire Universe!"

Comet chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far. I mean, I did have Cosmos there to help me; right, Cosmos?" she asked her pet, who, strangely enough, nodded in the same fashions as humans do.

"That's amazing!" Marco exclaimed.

"Well, she's my cousin, after all," Star casually explained. "Magic just happens to run in the family!"

Marco laughed at Star's statement, causing the girl to raise an angry eyebrow at him. "What's so funny?"

The boy calmed down and looked at her. "No offense, Star," he began, "But judging from what I've just heard, I'd say that you're nowhere near as good and educated, in magic, as your cousin," he explained.

Star widened her eyes in shock and let go of his hand. "Did you just call me talentless!?" she snapped at him.

"No, I did not," Marco calmly replied. "I'm just implying that if you were to study and practice more, then maybe you'd be just as good at it as her," he explained and turned his head towards Comet, "Star and studying are like oil and water, if you catch my drift,". Star glared at Marco, having overheard his comment.

Comet chuckled. "She's always been like that. I remember this one time when she was 5 or so, she chased one of her tutors out with a battleaxe."

"Can we talk about something other than school?" Star commented, displeased, then crossed her arms.

"Sorry, cuz!" Comet laughed. "But, um, Marco, right?" She cautiously asked while pointing her finger at the boy, who nodded, "Alright, just making sure; Marco does have a point, you know," Comet told Star. "I am inherently good at magic but I still had to study my butt off to pass most of the classes! Not to mention that I still practice casting spells around 4 hours, every day!"

"4 hours!?" Star exclaimed. "Ok, I am so not doing that..."

"Nobody said you had to, Star. I'm just making suggestions because I know that you're capable of more," Marco told her, in an attempt to calm her down.

Star roller her eyes and sighed. "Alright, I'll think about it..." she grumbled. "But can we please talk about something else, now? Anything?"

There was a brief silence.

"Cosmos once ate my headband," Comet commented, gaining curious looks from both Star and Marco. "What?" the girl asked, putting on an irritated face, "You were the ones who wanted to talk about something else!"

 ***silence***

"Ok. How did you get it out?" Marco asked, curious.

"Trust me, you don't wanna know..." Comet replied shaking her head and looking at Cosmos, who happily barked. Marco raised an eyebrow but decided not to pursue the issue any further.

The boy then noticed something. "Say," he began, "What does 'BG' stand for?" he asked, pointing at the initials on her shirt.

"Oh," Comet smiled, "It stands for-"

"Incoming!" the trio heard a girl shout. Marco turned his head in the direction of the voice, only to get hit in the head by a skateboard and fall to the ground. He groaned and rubbed his head.

"Hey, we're here!" Star cheerfully exclaimed, just now noticing that they were in front of the skate park. She then remembered something important. "Um, are you alright, Marco?" she asked the boy.

"I should've listened to my dad..." Marco muttered, causing Star to eye him questioningly.

Marco then stood up and looked at the object lying next to him. It was a black skateboard with a pick skull on it. The boy picked it up and examined it. "Who in the world would have a skateboard like this?" He asked the two girls. Both shrugged.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry dudes! I-" Janna frantically spoke as he approached the three teens, but stopped when he noticed that it was Star and Marco. She was wearing a green helmet and knee pads. "Oh, hi Marco, hi Star!"

"Hi!" Star greeted her.

"Hi..." Marco mumbled while rubbing his forehead.

"Hello," Comet greeted. Cosmos barked.

Janna stared at the pair for a few moments, eyes wide. She raised an eyebrow and pointed a finger at them. "Um, who are y-"

"Janna!" Jackie exclaimed while running towards the girl, skateboard in hand. She noticed Marco holding the girl's skateboard and a bruise on his head. "Wow! That thing flew!" she exclaimed and gave Janna a thumbs up. "Nice one!"

"You do realise that I got hit in the head with that thing, right?" Marco muttered and handed the skateboard over to Janna.

"Sorry, I literally had no idea what I was doing!" Janna stated, then turned her attention back to the three, or four, depending on the perspective. Jackie quickly greeted Star and Marco, then stopped upon spotting an unfamiliar girl.

"Who's that?" Jackie asked, pointing a finger at Comet. "And, why does she look like you?" Jackie followed up,looking at Star.

Janna raised a suspicious eyebrow, making Comet uncomfortable. The former then smiled and looked at Star. "So you made a clone of yourself? Nice!"

"Wha... Oh! No no no!" Star stammered, smiling awkwardly. "This is my cousin," she explained.

"Cousin?" Jackie asked, looking at Comet. The latter smiled, put Cosmos down, and walked over to the two girls.

"Hi! I don't believe we've met. My name's Comet, and this little guy is my pet, Cosmos! I'm assuming that the two of you are Star's friends?"

Jackie and Janna exchanged a look, then smiled. "Yeah, we are," Jackie replied, "I'm Jackie," she said while offering Comet a handshake, which the latter happily accepted. "And this is my friend, Janna," Jackie stated while eying the said girl.

"Hi," Janna casually stated. "So, you sure you're not a clone?"

"Haha, yes, I'm sure," Comet laughed, "Like Star already mentioned, I'm her cousin; from her father's side, to be more precise."

"Cool! And what brings you to Earth?" Jackie asked.

"Well..." Comet began, "Since I couldn't make it to the wedding due to certain... 'circumstances', I decided to pay her a little visit and do some catching up; we haven't really seen each other for like, 4 years or so?"

"She's always kept busy," Star added, her smile fading.

"Oh, that isn't very nice..." Jackie commented.

"Yeah, well, what can you do, right?" Comet shrugged it off. "I'm just happy that I could finally see her again!". Star smiled upon hearing that.

"That's the spirit!" Jackie exclaimed. "So," she spoke up after a brief pause, "What do you think of lover-boy over there?" Jackie asked, smirking devilishly at eying Marco.

"How much longer are you gonna keep calling me that!" Marco whined. Star couldn't help but giggle at his reaction.

"Hmm, about 18 more days," Jackie casually replied. The boy sighed, seeing that he was clearly not getting out of this.

Comet laughed. "I'm not really the kind to judge people; As long as my cousin's happy, I won't complain. But he does seem like a match for her; opposites attract, after all!" she explained.

"Well if you wanna know any embarrassing secrets about him, just lemme know!" Janna told her and pulled out the boy's diary, along with a set of keys. "I got all the info you need!"

Marco widened his eyes. "Janna!" he frantically exclaimed, "You stole my keys and diary, **again** **!?** "

"No, I didn't steal them. I just borrowed them without asking you, and have no intention of ever returning them," Janna teasingly replied. Marco shot her an angry look.

He then looked at Star. "Next time we go to Quest Buy, we're buying me a new lock!" he exclaimed. Upon hearing that, Star made a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm, I feel like I'm forgetting something..." she muttered to herself, then shrugged it off. Probably nothing important, right?

"Aww, a couple's shopping trip! How sweet of you, Marco!" Jackie joked, teasing the boy even further and earning another angry look.

Comet playfully shook her head. "Well, it sure seems like you guys get along well!" she joked, then smiled softly at Star. "I'm glad you've made such good friends," she told her.

"Yeah, so am I," Star admitted. The group smiled.

"Anyway!" Jackie exclaimed, "Why don't we go into the park? Toby's about to do a 720 Gazelle Flip! How cool is that!"

"A what?" Everyone asked her in unison. Even Cosmos looked confused.

Jackie blinked several times and raised an eyebrow at the group. "Wait, you guys seriously don't know what one of the coolest tricks is?"

"Well, I know what a gazelle is..." Marco commented.

"Me too! And she sings really good!" Star added.

"No Star, not that Gazelle," Marco told her.

Jackie sighed, then smiled. "Well, a 720 Gazelle Flip is basically..."

While Jackie explained the trick to the group, Comet noticed the seashell necklace Jackie was wearing. The girl made a curious face and looked down at Cosmos, who was also staring at it. The small wolf looked at Comet and blinked a couple of times. Comet narrowed her eyes. "Hmm..."

"That sure sounds unnecessarily complicated and dangerous!" Marco told Jackie when she'd finished explaining the trick.

"Yeah, and totally awesome!" Star exclaimed. "I can't wait to see it!"

"Well we gotta hurry inside then, otherwise we're gonna miss it," Jackie stated and began walking back into the skate park, motioning for her friends to follow her. Janna, Marco, and Star did as they were told. Before they were inside, however, Star turned back and noticed that Comet was talking to Cosmos.

"Come on, Comet! We're gonna miss the trick!" Star exclaimed. Comet nodded and picked her pet up and walked over to Star. "What were you saying to him?" Star curiously asked.

"Oh, nothing important," Comet smiled broadly. "Let's go, I'm pretty excited to see what this whole 'skateboarding' thing is all about." She cheerfully stated.

Star smiled and nodded. The two girls then followed their friends into the skate park.

 **End of Part 2!**

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **Alright, that does it for this chapter! Like I mentioned before, I'll be doing shorter chapters, which I can hopefully update once per week, so I won't leave you guys hanging for too long! I hope it's alright. Also, anyone got the little reference at the end :P?  
**

 **Well, see you guys soon! Bye!**

 **Expected update: Sometime next week.**


	3. Chapter 1, Part 3

**A/N: Not really much to say this time. Enjoy the chapter! And I wanted to update this yesterday but honestly, I forgot :P. Oh well, it's up now!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Rock Raider: Hey, you recognized it :)! I'm not much of a POP-music fan, but I gotta admit that the song is very good** **, almost as much as the movie! Now to the actual reply: Yes, this will come into play, in future chapters. As for Prince Shining; No, not at all! I totally have no plans for him coming to Earth and trying to woo Britney over, which will result in a lot of ridiculous nonsense! Where did you hear that from? LIES!**

 **Guest Sorta: Why do you assume it's cursed :3? And I never stated that Comet was 'the joker'. Patience, my impatient friend.**

 **ElleFreak: To be fair, in 'My Star', she did say that she would keep teasing him for a month or so :P. And yeah, I too can imagine star chasing her tutors around with an oversized axe xD!**

 **theRevil: Me, innocent!? Hah! Haven't laughed this hard in awhile! Boy, if you saw the things I've seen... I just never watched Sonic, is all. And I'm not hiding anything!**

 **The Golden Gamer: Like I said, I've legit not seen a single Sonic episode in my life xD! And I'm happy that their relationship doesn't seem rushed; I actually don't see them acting much differently as an official item, from the way they're acting now. Their relationship WILL evolve in this fanfic, just don't expect anything too ridiculous; ain't the way I roll!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!  
**

 **Episode 1:**

 **Comet visits Earth!**

 **Part 3**

 _In the skate park_

A large group of people, mainly consisting of teenagers that loved skateboarding, was gathered inside the skate park to watch the widely recognized pro-skater, Toby Falcon, perform some of his iconic tricks. Presently, he was chatting with a few audience members, a fair distance away from Marco, Star, Jackie, Janna, Comet and Cosmos.

The group of friends managed to get into the front row of the audience, where they'd have the best view. Jackie was, by far, the most anxious among them. She was practically shivering from excitement and the mere thought of seeing one of her idols up close.

Marco raised an eyebrow at her. Jackie was the type of girl who always, **always** , kept her cool, so it was strange and almost absurd seeing her get all excited over some dude with a skateboard! Then again, it wasn't really his concern anymore, given that, ya know...

Comet was busy chatting with Janna, and Star was cuddling with Cosmos, sometimes even rubbing her nose against his. The small creature responded to her actions in kind, licking her across the face several times, which delighted Star. Lazer-eyed puppies were cute, however, nothing could beat a magically infused cute little wolf, right?

Finally, after what Jackie perceived as an eternity, Toby put his helmet on and walked to the center of the skate park, where he knew everyone would see him. Luckily the place wasn't that big, so he could talk normally and everyone would still hear him.

"What's up, dudes and dudettes?" the pro skater asked the crowd, a content smile on his face. The audience cheered.

Marco leaned closer to Star and spoke whispered to her: "Dudettes? Seriously? Who still speaks like that! That soo 1970s..." Marco finished and crossed his arms.

"So, I don't wanna leave you dudes waiting for too long, so let's get this show on the road!" Toby exclaimed and threw his skateboard onto the ground, after which he jumped on it and gave himself some good momentum with his left foot.

He started off doing simple tricks; a few wheelies, an Ollie, a drop in down the ramp, etc. Once he was all warmed up, he decided it was time to kick it up a notch by doing some more advanced moves. He did a 360 flip onto a nearby ledge, on which he did a crooked grind. Upon landing on the ground again he did a couple of hardflips and a 540. Finally, he finished with the much awaited 720 Gazelle flip, jumping into the air and flipping his skateboard and doing a 180 degree backslide rotation of his body, then gracefully landing atop of his skateboard, not even seeming winded.

The audience cheered and applauded Toby for his spectacular efforts. Even Marco seemed captivated, cheering very loudly, although he was no match for Jackie, who was nearly cheering her lungs out. Next to him, however, Star yawned, her facial expression revealing a distinct absence of excitement. Comet, on the other hand, was highly intrigued, never having seen anything like it.

"That was awesome!" Marco exclaimed. "Right, Star?" he asked the young princess. Upon laying his eyes on her, he saw that she wasn't cheering but was instead scratching her head in confusion.

"I don't get it!" Was her reply. "Where's the gazelle? What a ripoff!" Star exclaimed and frowned somewhat angrily. Marco opened his mouth to speak up, however, decided that it was probably pointless to try and explain things to Star. Instead, he shrugged and turned his attention back to the pro skater.

The crowd fell silent and Toby bowed his head. "Thanks, dudes! Now since you guys are so awesome, I'm gonna do one of you the honour of trying a few tricks on-" he used his foot to elegantly propel his skateboard into his hands, and lifted it up for them to see, "-this baby, right here, right now! So, any volunteers?" He asked, and almost immediately, a tidal wave of hands rose up, along with several frantic voices that kept repetitively shouting 'Me, me!' and 'Pick me!', even some 'I love you Toby!' shouts could be heard. Marco could have sworn that Jackie's voice was among them...

Toby spent a few moments looking around, searching for the right person. Finally, his eyes stopped, somewhere in the direction of where Marco and his friends were sitting. Jackie also noticed this and froze in disbelief. The skater then began making his way over to them.

The girl shot Marco a frantic look and spoke extremely fast. "Marco! I'm not dreaming, am I? How's my helmet look? Do I have bad breath? Am I-"

"Woah! Calm down, will you?" Marco smiled. "You're not dreaming and-"

"But Marco, _the_ Toby Flacon is coming over here! Why?"

"Maybe he's picked you to ride his skateboard," Marco stated. Jackie's brain ceased to function upon hearing that. She quickly turned her head towards Toby, who was still approaching the group of friends.

The skater stopped a few feet in front of them. "I believe I've found a suitable candidate! This dudette, right here!" he exclaimed, pointing his finger seemingly towards Jackie.

The girl pinched herself and, upon seeing that it really wasn't a dream, turned her head towards Marco. Her face was beaming with delight. "Marco! It's actually happening! I'm gonna ride on Toby Falcon's skateboard! I'm-"

Toby walked past Jackie and offered Comet a hand. Everything fell silent.

Comet blinked a few times, realization taking a few moments to hit her. " **Me!?** " she exclaimed in panic.

"Yep! Now cmon!" The pro exclaimed.

"But I-" Comet tried to protest but couldn't, for Toby grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her out of the audience. The girl suddenly found herself standing in the middle of the circle of people. Toby shoved the skateboard into her hands and put his helmet onto on her head.

"Safety first! Alright, now show us what you've got!" he told her and gave her a thumbs up, then joined the audience.

Comet seemed lost for a few moment, her brain taking some time to register what was going on. When it finally did, she widened her eyes and looked at her new friends, hoping to find some sort of answer to the situation she'd suddenly found herself in.

"Does she even know _how_ to skate?" Jackie asked Marco and Star. The girl's excitement passed, and she seemed worried, and not the least bit upset that she wasn't the one who'd been picked.

Star shook her head. "How could she possibly know that? Even I didn't know what skateboarding was until I came here! This is an Earth sport!"

"Star's right," Marco stated and stood up, "Cmon, we'd best stop her before something bad happens. She can't-"

Before Marco could finish speaking, Comet threw the skateboard onto the ground and hopped on it, then pushed herself forward and down the nearest half pipe. While riding down, she did a 360 spin and a few flips, after which she reached the other end and slid along the edge of the half pipe, in a similar fashion that Toby did. She then spent a few moments just aimlessly skating around the objects, doing tricks that were similar to Toby's. Finally, she did something nobody was expecting; she imitated Toby's 720 Gazelle flip to perfection, and even on the exact same spot the pro skater had done it.

Comet took off the helmet Toby had given her and stepped off the skateboard and picked it up, then looked at the audience, awaiting their response. She seemed nervous, a concerned look on her face as the audience remained silent.

"W-was it... alright?" she asked.

Toby walked over to her, his eyes wide. "That... was... **flippin' rad!** " the skater exclaimed at the top of his lungs. The crowd immediately agreed with him, cheering even louder than they'd done for him. The only ones who weren't cheering were Marco, Star, Jackie and Janna, who dumbfoundedly stared at her, their mouths agape.

"Rad?" Comet tested the word. "That means 'good', right?" she asked for confirmation. Toby patted her on the back, smiling widely.

"Good? That was absolutely sick, girl!" He exclaimed. The crowd agreed with him, praising Comet for her display. "Who taught you how to skate like that?"

Comet shyly smiled. "Well, I'd never actually ridden one of these things; I just tried imitating what you did and, you know, improvising a bit..." she admitted while rubbing the back of her head.

"And believe me, it rocked!" the skater exclaimed and offered her a fist bump. Comet stared at his hand curiously, unsure of what he wanted. She shrugged and wrapped her hand around his fist, then shook it.

"So this is how people on Earth shake their hands? You have some weird customs..." she told him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, then shrugged. "You are one weird chick, let me tell ya that!" Toby smiled and laughed. "But be serious with me; was today really your first day, skating?"

Comet nodded and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a fast learner."

"Well, in that case-" Toby pointed and the skateboard she was still holding. "I want you to keep it. It's not every day that you see something as bizarre as this happen, and trust me, I've seen some pretty bizarre stuff!"

"What!?" Comet practically shrieked. "No! I can't just-"

"It's cool," he chuckled. "Just make sure to practice on it every now and then, alright? It'd be a real shame to put that talent to waste. You've got some skills!"

Comet's expression was blank for a few moments. The girl then put on a slight smile. "Oh, u-um... Alright. Thank you, sir!"

"Sir? Woah! You're making me feel old!" Toby laughed and patted Comer on the shoulder. "Alright, I think I'm gonna go over there and meet some of my fans. Stay cool, dudette!" The skater finished and walked away, eager to talk to some of his fans. A large group of those, however, surrounded Comet just as she was about to return to her newly made friends. They began bombarding her with questions, none of which she could even clearly make out. Unfortunately, she was trapped.

Comet sighed. "Alright, people! One at a time! One at a time!" she ordered them, figuring that this was her best option of escaping confinement as soon as possible.

"Well," Jackie spoke up, "Looks like she's gotten pretty popular."

Marco smiled. "Well, she is pretty awesome!"

"Awesome? She's incredible!" Janna added. "How many times do you meet an awesome princess from another dimension?"

Upon hearing that comment, Star glared at Janna and crossed her arms. The latter smiled awkwardly. "Oh... right..."

"Well, sorry for not being _exactly that_!" Star exclaimed in frustration.

"Cmon, Star, don't be like that," Marco told his girlfrie- bestie, he told his bestie. "Janna's not trying to offend you or anything. She's just... stating the obvious,"

Star was visibly angry. "Stating the obvious?" she repeated.

"Exactly!" Janna smiled mischievously, "It's not like you could pull off what she just pulled off"

Star looked mad. "Is that so? You doubt I could do it?"

"Star, there's no need for-"

"Sorry Star," Janna cut Marco off, "But you've got a long way to go before you can compete with her," the girl finished.

Star growled and glared. Wordlessly, the young princess stormed off, grabbing Jackie's skateboard, the girl letting her have it without any form of protest, and walked to the top of the half-pipe.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Star yelled, gaining everyone's attention, including Toby's. "I, Star Butterfly, am going to do the most awesome, the most dangerous, and the most thrilling skate trick ever seen by Mewman or human! Right here! Right now!"

"Star, get down from that thing! You can hardly even ride a bike, let alone skate!" Marco begged her visibly concerned. Star merely made a 'pfft' sound.

"Marco, pa-lease!" she smugly waved the boy off. "I think you're getting concerned over nothing, yet again!"

"But Star-"

"A-pa-pa!" She dismissed his words, making a mouth gesture with her hand. Star climbed onto the skateboard, struggling to find the right balance for a few moments but soon found it, after which she proudly smiled. "See, no biggie! Now sit back and prepare to have your minds blown!" she exclaimed and pushed herself down the half-pipe. The audience, including Toby, watched the princess fastly approach the other end of the semi-circle.

Toby made his way over to Marco. "She does have health insurance, right?" the skater asked the boy, who shot the man a blank look.

When Star reached the other end of the half pipe, however, things didn't go exactly as planned, or not planned, in her case. She flew into the air along with the skateboard, which slipped away from underneath her feet. The girl suddenly found herself in mid-air, falling towards the ground as the audience gasped and stared at the unfolding events in horror.

" **STAR!** " Marco yelled at the top of his lungs as he helplessly watched her falling to the ground. Janna, Jackie and Comet all gasped.

Star closed her eyes; this was going to hurt!

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **Well, looks like our little Star just became a falling star! Ha ha!**

 **...**

 **That was a joke, so you'd better be laughing otherwise... well, nothing is actually going to happen but, still...**

 **Anyway, putting my terrible puns aside, I hate leaving you guys on another cliffhanger, well, actually, I don't. The only thing I really have to say is that I have no idea about skateboarding, nor have I ever ridden a skateboard, so I hope I didn't cause any skating fans to shake their heads at my descriptions. Other than that, any feedback is appreciated, and I'll see you guys next time! 'Till then, adios!**

 **Expected update: TBA**


	4. Chapter 1, Part 4

**A/N: So yeah, I've recently developed an addiction to Irish Cappuccino. I'm a man with a strong will but that stuff should be considered a drug! And before you google it and get any wrong ideas, I drink the non-alcoholic version of it that you can purchase in most stores, although I did try an 'authentic' cup of Irish Coffee. It was tasty but I'm not a huge whiskey fan. Why am I explaining this to you guys? Honestly, no clue.**

 **Putting that aside, this week has been really long and I wasn't sure when I'd have the time to finish this chapter, and delayed it for quite a few days! Unfortunately, things are going to get even busier, since I have my first Maths test on November 11th, and have to study my butt off if I wanna pass! (The math in High School is literally a joke compared to this! And I ain't bad at Math!). I'll still try to have the next chapter up within the next 1-2 weeks, so no worries! Wish me luck, my friends!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Guest Sorta:**

 **\- Reply#1: Of course she isn't human! She's a Vesperian! And before you speculate about characters dying, do remember that this is a Disney show and nobody ever- *remembers Rasticore* ... You know what? Just wait and see...**

 **-Reply#2: Fanart, srsly? That's awesome! I've googled it and I'm really thrilled :)! Also, I'm working on Cosmos; he should be on my Tumblr and DeviantAr pretty soon.**

 **theRevil: Oh, you're talking about the 'Sonic..exe' game which I've already played and wasn't even phased one bit since I've played way more disturbing games, or the fact that there are numerous NSFW comics and fanart pictures littered across the internet? Buddy, trust me, you've seen way less than I have! I've even seen stuff that got banned from my country. I just don't let it cloud my judgment. As for the quality of this fic having dropped; that's your opinion and I respect it. I disagree, of course, and I'm happy with what I've written so far. I did mention that this sequel would be more lighthearted and similar to the show, however, the mood will soon 'shift', and I think you'll like it later on.**

 **DonDonatek: Let's just say that 'bad-boy' Marco isn't exactly what he boasts himself to be xD! He'll get used to it, though, probably...**

 **HitsuHina15: What can I say? Star is Star :P.**

 **Princess: Pardon my next expression but... that is so cute! I remember when I was still young, inexperienced, motivated, the would was gonna be mine one day; then High School came and those ambitions kinda died out xD. And TBA stands for "To Be Announced".**

 **Rock Raider: Who knows? I may have gotten bored with Star and will kill her off and replace her with Comet? Who knows... :P?**

 **ElleFreak: Well, you'll be the first to find that out, won't you :)!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!  
**

 **Episode 1:**

 **Comet visits Earth!**

 **Part 4**

"Star!" the young princess heard Marco utter her name. He sounded calm, given the situation. "It's alright; you can open your eyes."

The girl did as she was told and, to her surprise, found herself suspended in mid-air, a strange, light-blue glow surrounding her. Her eyes wandered towards her friends, and she noticed Cosmos' eyes glowing, the small wolf staring at her.

"Huh?" she uttered in a confused fashion.

Comet smiled and pat Cosmos on the head. "Good job, buddy!" she proudly exclaimed.

Star began slowly descending until she touched the ground, completely unharmed. The glow around her vanished along with the glow in Cosmos' eyes. The latter stuck out his tongue and barked happily, wiggling his tail.

"That is one freaky dog you have there..." Janna commented from the side. "I like it!"

Comet frowned. "A wolf; thank you very much! And it's _he_ , not 'it'!"

Janna raised n eyebrow at the girl, intrigued by the fact that such a trivial thing upset her. Janna pointed a finger at her. "You sure you're not Star's clone?"

Meanwhile, Marco and Jackie rushed over to Star. The boy still seemed a little worried. "You alright?"

Star nodded. "I think so, yeah,".

"What exactly happened just now?" Marco curiously asked.

"There's a reason me and Cosmos are a team, you know!" Comet proclaimed and picked her companion up, then made her way over to the group, Janna trailing a few feet behind her. "He has some neat and useful tricks hidden in that cute, fluffy little hide of his!"

Marco chuckled. "Looks like he's better at magic than you are, Star."

Star glared at him. "Hey!"

Marco raised his arms up defensively. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

Jackie suddenly made a curious expression, which the group noticed.

"What's wrong?" Marco asked.

"I'm just wondering; did that skateboard ever fall back down?"

Marco raised. "Skateboard? Wha-" he was unable to finish his sentence as the said object landed on his head. "Ouch!"

"Well," Jackie casually spoke up. "I guess instant karma really is a thing..."

"I'll keep that in mind..." Marco muttered as he rubbed the spot where the skateboard had hit him. He then looked at Cosmos; that little guy sure was something! Which made him wonder...

"How exactly did you meet him?" Marco asked Comet.

"Yeah! I was wondering that too!" Janna added.

"C'mon! Tell us!" Jackie pursued, also curious.

"Oh, um..." Comet's expression became saddened and she looked at Star, who looked at the ground awkwardly, bearing an identical expression. The rest of the group became curious; when Star was sad, then something serious had to be going on.

Comet sighed deeply, looking at Cosmos and putting on a tiny smile. "He was a gift to me, from my mother, before she... moved on..."

"Oh..." Marco muttered, regretting his question. Jackie and Janna also wished they had remained silent. "I'm sorry," Marco added. "I-I shouldn't have-"

"It's ok. You couldn't have known." Comet assured him. "And besides," she began stroking Cosmos along his back, "It was a long time ago. Some things just... happen, I guess..."

There was an awkward silence, nobody willing to speak up. Comet, oddly enough, beamed a warm smile at them. "Hey, no need to get down about it; It was a long time ago, and I'll always have Cosmos to remember her by. Right, Cosmos?" she cheerfully asked her wolf companion, who nodded, strangely enough.

Upon hearing that, Jackie looked to the side, wistfully. This motion of hers, however, went unnoticed.

"Wow!" Janna exclaimed. "Wish I could be that tough! All I'm good at is pickpocketing," the girl finished and lifted up a black keychain with a red index on it keychain, Marco's, nonetheless.

" **Again!** Again with the keys!?" The boy exclaimed while frantically waving his arms.

"Not my problem that you don't know how to hide these things!" Janna retorted.

"I put them in a safe with a lock on it!" Marco argued, seeming furious.

Janna smiled smugly. "You mean, this lock?" she asked and took out a regular lock from her pocket. Marco recognized it, widening his eyes.

"Oh, pickpocketing _and_ lockpicking!" Janna proudly told Comet.

Marco sighed, capitulating. _Note to self; never let Janna come within 5 feet ever again..._

"Anyway, how old is he?" Janna asked, referring to Cosmos and patting him on the head.

"Oh, around 486 years, give or take a few days; my mom just found him one day, drifting all alone through space," Comet explained, waving her hand through the air.

"He's what now!?" Janna exclaimed, the large number taking her completely by surprise. Janna looked at Marco. "Marco, that's more than what you have on your bank account,dude!"

"Am I seriosly gonna have to call the police!?" Marco exclaimed, growing even more frustrated.

"He is?" Star asked, raising an eyebrow and ignoring her boyfriend's outburst. The young princess also looked surprised, but not as much as the rest of her friends. "You never told me that. Plus he looks like a small cub," Star pointed out.

"Yeah, well, magic, you know?" Comet replied. "And besides, age is just a number; me and him are inseparable! Right, buddy?". Cosmos wiggled his tail. "Plus to be completely honest, I love taking care of him! There's just something about pets that really lifts your spirits, right?"

"Oh, I know what you mean!" Star replied, putting her hands on her hips. "I love taking care of those puppies I conjured up!"

"No offense, Star," Marco began, grabbing her attention. "All you do is fool around with them and destroy the house on a daily basis. I'm usually the one who ends up feeding them, bathing them, taking them out for walks, and taking care of them in general."

"That's not true!" Star retorted.

"Uh, yeah, it is!" Marco eyed her sternly. "And that's not even counting those three Hellhounds! You're the one who insisted on keeping them, yet I'm the one stuck with taking care of them!"

"You mean those things that your dad entered into the local dog show?" Jackie asked the boy, raising an eyebrow. Marco nodded.

"I still can't believe the judges went with it..." Marco muttered under his breath. "Anyway, it's a lot of work taking care of so many dogs by myself!"

"I could help you and show you a few tricks that'll make your life easier," Comet casually cut in.

"R-Really!" Marco replied, sounding very hopeful.

Comet nodded. "Of course! I have tons of experience training animals! There was this mandatory beast-training excursion we all had to take a few years ago," she explained.

"That would be awesome!" Marco exclaimed, then turned his head towards Star. "Your cousin is really handy! You could learn a thing or two from her!" the boy cheerfully stated. Star narrowed her eyes at him and growled, clenching a fist.

"You can do that later!" Jackie exclaimed and patted Comet on the shoulder. "Why don't we show you around town a bit? I bet you wanna see what Earth is like, huh?"

Comet seemed rather reluctant, Staring at Jackie's necklace. Before anyone could notice, however, she put on a cheerful smile. "Sure!"

"Cool!" Jackie looked at Marco and Star. "Did you two have any plans for today, or were you going to just wing it, like you usually do?"

"Wing it," the two simultaneously replied.

Comet raised an eyebrow at the couple. "D-do you two often talk like that?"

Star and Marco exchanged a quick look. "No. Not at all, why?" they asked, again in unison and perfect sync.

Janna leaned closer to Comet's ear. "Yeah, they do! And _I'm_ supposedly the creepy one here!" she whispered to Comet, out of earshot from both Marco and Star.

"Alright then. Since you three don't have any plans, why don't we all go someplace fun and exciting, so Comet can have a great time?" Jackie suggested.

"Sounds good!" Star smiled. "Any ideas?"

"I have the keys to the local morgue! We could totally sneak in! Corpses rock!" Janna told them and pulled out the said keys, gaining a few alarmed looks.

"I'm not sure whether I should be creeped out or _seriously_ creeped out!" Marco stated. Janna frowned and crossed her arms.

Janna frowned and crossed her arms. "Fine then, lover-boy!" Janna exclaimed, gaining a glare from Marco. "Then you come up with a better idea; after all, you're the definition of fun, aren't ya?"

"Hey! I know how to have fun! I have fun all the time!" Marco argued.

Janna rolled her eyes, unconvinced. "Of course you do..."

"As a matter of fact," Marco began, "I often hang out in one of the coolest and funnest places in town!" _(A/N: I'm not sure if '_ funnest _' is a real word or not. Some argue it is, others argue it isn't. Personally; don't care, it sounds good enough)_

 _A few minutes later_

"Ta-da!" Marco said with pride, pointing at the large building behind him, eyes closed.

His friends, and Star, eyed him skeptically. This only excluded Comet, who wasn't even sure what the place was.

Star walked over to him, seeming irritated.

"The library? **The friggin library!?** " She shouted, frantically waving her arms to show her frustration.

"Yep!" Marco replied, smiling happily, showing his white teeth. "After all; what could be more fun than knowledge!"

"Watching paint dry, for instance..." Janna muttered, seeming unamused. Jackie also bore a dull expression.

"Marco," Star spoke, "There is no way I am taking my cousin, whom I haven't seen in, **forever** , to a library! Now, let's go somewhere else before-"

"Actually," Comet began, her face beaming with a smile, "I agree with him!"

"You what!?" All three girls shouted in unison and disbelief, their eyes wide.

"Hey! It's the truth!" Comet insisted. "There's no better way to spend your time than expanding your horizons, after all!"

Marco smiled and walked over to the girl. "Finally! Somebody with some common sense!"

Comet laughed. "Not many of us out there, right?"

"Heh, you can say that again!" He stated while the two began making their way inside. "C'mon! The library recently added an entire wing dedicated to the history of safety gear!"

Comet raised an eyebrow at him, not really thrilled by what he was suggesting.

Behind them, the three girls could only stare at the events. Star's mouth was wide open, her expression shocked.

"D-did they just ditch us!?" The princess furiously exclaimed. She was angry. For some reason, however, her anger was not only direct towards Marco, but also towards Comet!

"Maybe Marco just got a little overexcited?" Jackie suggested. "You know how dorks are; you're going out with one!"

Star sighed. "You're probably right. I mean, Marco _is_ a dork!"

"See! Nothing to worry about! So let's just get in there and have some fu-" Jackie stopped herself, frowning. "Yeah... um... let's just get in there..." she corrected herself.

Star nodded, and the three girls walked into the library. The young princess, however, suddenly got a weird feeling in her stomach when she thought about the way Marco had acted mere moments ago. Why, thought? She looked at the ring on her hand and smiled, lifting her head.

 _Meh, it's probably nothing!_ She told herself and decided to enjoy herself. I mean, books couldn't be **that** bad, right?

Star frowned. "This is going to suck..."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **Well, that just about does it! Nothing much to add, so feel free to tell me your thought on this chapter! Bye!**

 **Wait! Before I forget, I've recently gotten involved in a BIG SVTFOE project. It's top secret, so I can't give away any details yet, but once it's done I'm sure you guys will LOVE it! I'll let you know what it is the moment I get permission to do so!**

 **Expected update: PROBABLY Next week.**


	5. Chapter 1, Final Part

**A/N: I did it, boyz! My first warning message for posting copyrighted song lyrics into a songfic :D! I couldn't be prouder of myself right now! *cries tears of joy***

 **Oh, and btw, yes I have seen the latest episodes and no, I am not buying it. Believe it or not, there's a pretty good reason I've made Jackie a suspicious character in my fanfic that is actually canon related (for me). While what I have planned isn't gonna be canon (for good reasons, as you will see in the future) I can't help but get this strange feeling about her. It's probably just me but something about her seems a bit... off... and.. way too convenient... + I totally predicted Janna having Marco's diary! Yay!**

 **Also, yes I've seen the trailer for the latest episode (the finale of the season) and I am sceptical about several things. I pretty much already see how this episode is going to play out (which will, if I am correct, leave a lot of you saddened), but Jackie's line "Do you trust me?" has me thinking: Is she talking about teaching Marco how to skateboard, or something entirely different? Say, getting him to a certain place he HAS to be and, to a _certain someone that needs him_? Once the episode airs, I will post both of those theories and how I expected it to play out. Also, expect a short one-shot this Sunday, based on the trailer.**

 **And btw skinny jeans are dumb as hell. W-why would you wear that? Just why...**

 **Also, Adam McArthur is a saint; that tweet he posted after the latest episodes aired xD! Shoutouts to Adam McArthur, the Starco god!**

 **Also, if any active fanfic author is reading this, I would kindly ask you guys to stop posting stuff about the US election in your author's notes. It's seriously annoying and not what this site is meant for; this site is meant for people to write fanfiction and share their ideas with the rest of the world, and not debating and criticising politics. If you wanna talk politics, go join a debate club ffs, and stop bothering people with it.**

 **Now, onto the reviews:**

 **DonDonatek: Whoa there! This is T rated dude; no blood and gore allowed XD! And it's not really a big project, plus my involvement isn't major, but it'll be a treat for all SVTFOE fans once it is finished.**

 **Rock Raider: Well, I'm leaving that part up to your imagination! (No, I was not too lazy to write down what happened in the library, I just decided to do it like this instead). And they are hitting it off well, yeah. Result? Drama, baby!**

 **Guest Sorta: You hate the OC I worked so hard on? Thanks ,glad to hear that... XD. Jk, I know what you mean. Then again, you also hated Prince Shining :P.**

 **ElleFreak: I already PM'ed you that I was switching back to a style similar to my original fanfic. So, less humour, more drama.**

 **MikeWeezy1323: Yeah, sorry for the delay! But hey, it's finally updated! YAY!**

 **HitsuHina15: The only problem I have with libraries is that the fantasy section is pathetic (in my local library, at least) so I end up ordering the books I wanna read. I mean, I had to order the entire 'Age of Fire' series by E.E. Knight because my library didn't have a single book! A totally underrated series, btw.**

 **Princess: Not gonna lie, I was basically just like God in High School! Yeah; people ignored my existence and only talked to me when they needed something. And the problem with High school Love is that people just don't treat it seriously enough; I mean, most high schoolers (talking from experience here) just have it in their minds that they'll just fool around for a bit to see what being in a relationship is like, then forget all about it once high school is over. It's beyond me how they're able to think like that, honestly, since I'm the type of guy who doesn't just treat love as a joke.**

 **P.S. I just have an important question; why do you people keep following "My Star" XD? I got like, what, 9 new followers in the past 2 weeks? I mean, no offence but didn't you notice the 'Complete' tag? This is the sequel, so there's really no point if following that fic anymore; follow this one instead if you feel like supporting me and keeping yourselves up-to-date with the story :)!**

 **P.S.S. What do you guys think of me writing a Zootopia fanfic? The idea's been in my head for awhile now. While it won't come anytime soon (I'm a busy young adult), I feel like writing one would be fun. I'm open for ideas and requests! Anything Zootopia related, except M rated stuff, is viable, so request away!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!  
**

 **Episode 1:**

 **Comet visits Earth!**

 **Final Part**

" **AND STAY OUT!** " The librarian, a middle-aged lady with short curly auburn hair, red glasses, and wearing office-dress-styled clothing, angrily shouted as she literally tossed the group of friends of out the library and slammed the door shut. Marco landed face first while the girls landed in a far more graceful fashion, with Cosmos using his magic to gracefully set them down onto their feet. The small wolf was still resting in Comet's hands, being held like a teddy bear.

Marco groaned and got up, the taste of pavement still on the tip of his tongue, rubbed his forehead, and looked at Star with a displeased expression.

"Well, now I can't show my face around here for about a month!" he crossed his arms.

Star smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head with one hand and holding her wand in the other, "Yeah, my bad...". Her expression turned serious again. "But to be fair, the rules specifically said 'no talking'; they didn't say anything about magic!" the girl exclaimed, raising her wand.

"She has a point," Janna shrugged.

Marco was not amused. "Star, do you have any idea how many books you destroyed?"

"But I didn't do it on purpose!" the princess argued, "It was just _soooo_ boring in there! All I wanted was to liven things up a bit!"

"Well, you did accomplish that, and destroyed over a third-" Behind him, Marco heard an explosion come from one of the library's wings. "-a half of the library's literary collection," Marco muttered.

"Hehe, whoops..."

Marco shot a questioning glare and Janna and Jackie. "Why didn't you say anything to her?"

Janna and Jackie exchanged a quick glance, then looked at Marco, and shrugged. Both were unsure how to answer his question, but honestly, they simply hadn't cared enough and wanted to escape the place asap, so Star's mischief had been more than welcome at the time. They remained silent and simply stared at him.

After a full minute of silence, and receiving absolutely no answer, Marco decided to let it go. The boy turned his attention to Comet, who was petting Cosmos.

"Sorry you couldn't get much info on Earth literature like I promised,"

Comet waved her hand. "No biggie! And I must admit that it was rather fascinating watching all of those warlocks fighting each other!" she turned her head to look at Star, "How did you even summon them? I took several advanced classes in conjuration but even I can't figure out how you did that!"

"Honestly, me neither..." Star admitted, smiling awkwardly and scratching her head.

"Well, luckily your cousin was there to stop them, right?" Janna proclaimed and walked over to Comet. "Your magic rules! You're way better than Star!"

To the side, Star growled upon hearing that comment.

Comet raised her arms defensively. "I'm just... um... better trained! Yeah! I'm sure that with lots of practice, you'll be seeing her do these kinds of things in her sleep!"

"Yeah, when she's dreaming!" Janna joked, angering Star further.

Out of the blue, Janna's stomach growled. The girl put a hand on it and chuckled. "Well, looks like this is my cue; I'm meeting up with a few of my peeps from detention and having lunch with them. C ya!" She exclaimed stated and walked away, waving her hand. Jackie followed suit, waving the group goodbye.

"I gotta go too. I promised my neighbour that I'd take his son to the barber's since he refuses to get a haircut. They think I may be able to convince him otherwise. See you guys later, and have fun!" Jackie excused herself and followed Janna.

"Bye!" the three exclaimed as the girl walked out of sight.

"So," Marco started. "Now that it's just the three of us, what do you girls wanna do-"

"Incoming!" The three heard a panicked shout before a bike crashed into Marco, sending him stumbling backwards a few feet, luckily without any major harm. The boy opened his eyes to look at the person who had hit him, and what a surprise...

"Ferguson! Alfonzo!" He yelled at his two friends. Apparently, the two rabble-rousers had ridden on one bike and crashed into him, the said vehicle lying on the pavement next to them, seemingly unharmed.

"Oh, hi Marco!" Ferguson casually greeted the boy.

"Hi Star!" Alfonzo added.

The two boys then spotted the girl standing next to their two friends.

"Woah, am I seeing double?" Ferguson asked, raising his right eyebrow and pointing fingers at Comet and Star.

"Not quite..." Star laughed. "Guys, this is my cousin-"

"Hi, Comet!" Alfonzo suddenly exclaimed, cutting Star off and leaving her, Marco, and Ferguson, confused.

Comet bowed her head, as did Cosmos. "Greetings, your majesty."

"Hold on," Marco spoke. "Alfonzo, how do _you_ know her?"

"Um, hello!" Alfonzo exclaimed, seeming a bit offended. He then took out his cellphone and showed Marco a picture of himself and the Pixie Empress. "Pixie Emperor!" the boy added.

"Right... I, keep forgetting about that..." Marco dully muttered. "Anyway," he continued, brushing the matter off, "Why were you two riding that bike? It's not even meant for two people, hence the one seat."

"Haven't you heard?" Ferguson asked the boy. "The local bowling ring is celebrating its 10th anniversary and as a result, you ca bowl for free all day long! How cool is that!?"

"Bowling?" Comet tested the work. "What's that?"

"Oh, bowling is super fun!" Star exclaimed. "You get to roll these heavy energy spheres at some evil pins and vanquish them!" the Mewman princess exclaimed, striking a victorious pose.

"You basically roll a ball at 10 pins and try to knock them all down," Marco added, finding Star's explanation a bit overly-dramatic, not wanting Comet to get the wrong impression.

"Huh; Sounds interesting," Comet commented.

"It is!" Star exclaimed. "I've played it before and I have become quite the expert at it, if I do say so myself; haven't lost a single game!" she smugly stated.

"Expert? Star, you fire an energy blast at the pins every time you miss! Of course you've won every single game!" Marco stated, crossing his arms.

"Does it say 'no magic' in the rules, hmm?"

"Well, no..." Marco admitted.

Star smiled. "Anyway, the three of us could totally join you two! How 'bout it?"

Ferguson and Alfonzo shrugged with a smile. "Sure! Gotta show your cousin a good time, right?" Ferguson stated.

"Ok, it's settled then!" Marco exclaimed. "Guys, we are going bowling!"

Star smirked; _Finally! Something my cousin isn't good at! Time to show them just how awesome Star Butterfly truly is!"_

Later, at the bowling ring.

 ***Strike! Perfect Game!***

The speaker proclaimed, lighting up the entire alley and spraying out confetti over a cheering crowd.

Comet turned her head around. Star, Marco, Ferguson, and Alfonzo were staring at her, eyes wide.

"Um, that's good, right?" The girl asked, pointing the flashing 'Perfect game' sign above her. The four friends were in disbelief, Star in particular, was stunned.

"Good? That was friggin amazing!" Ferguson exclaimed. "You just got a perfect game! Do you have any idea how hard that is?"

"Um, no..." Comet replied, unsure what to make of the whole situation.

Suddenly, a man dressed in a tuxedo with a bowling ball pin on it walked over to her.

"Young lady, as the owner of this bowling ring, I am proud to announce that you are the new record holder for most points in a single game! Congratulations!" He proclaimed, shaking her hand.

The man then swiftly pulled a camera out of his pocket and snapped a picture of Comet, blinding her for a few moments. She rubbed her eyes, unable to see clearly.

"So, as manager of this place, it is my honour and privilege to put you as the new face in the frame of fame!" the man exclaimed and walked over to a section of the wall that stood out due to being entirely white with a picture frame on it. In the frame was a picture of Star, since the princess had been the record holder until now.

Star watched in horror as her picture was taken out of the frame, ripped into pieces by the man, and replaced with a picture of a startled Comet.

"Perfect!" The man exclaimed as the gathered audience, mainly other bowling guests, cheered. Comet smiled shyly, feeling uncomfortable.

 _This isn't happening... this is not happening!_ Star thought, a mixture of sadness and fury clouding her thoughts.

"Well," Alfonzo spoke up, "At least someone who played by the rules in on the wall now, right?" he stated, pointing at Comet. He didn't mean to insult Star, only to state the obvious. Unfortunately, it didn't work out like that, since it only spiked Star's anger. The girl gripped her wand tightly, gritting her teeth while she watched as several people congratulated Comet for her achievement.

Later

"Bye guys! We gotta get home, otherwise our moms will be mad at us for skipping dinner, so catch ya later!" Ferguson said as he and Alfonzo waved the three goodbye. It had gotten late and the group was in front of Marco and Star's house.

"Bye!" The three responded in unison. Cosmos barked.

"Speaking of dinner," Star spoke, "Didn't your mom say something yesterday about Tacos?" Star licked her lips and dreamily looked into the distance, a drop of drool escaping her mouth. "Yeah, Tacos..."

Comet raised an eyebrow at her, then looked at Marco, expecting an explanation. The boy shrugged. "What can I say? She likes tacos."

"Alright but- what's are these 'tacos'?" Comet asked, never having heard of this earthly cuisine.

"Oh, right, you're not from around here," the boy stated. "Well then, you're in luck! My mom makes the best tacos!"

"And, is it really ok if I just join you out of the blue?" Comet asked

"Of course! My parents will be more than thrilled to have you over!" Marco excitedly proclaimed.

"Alright then, you got yourself a deal!" Comet joked, earning a laugh from Marco. To the side, Star bore an uncomfortable look.

"We're back!" Marco exclaimed, opening the door and stepping inside, then holding it open for Star and Comet. "And we have a guest!"

" **A guest!?** " Marco heard his parents exclaim from behind him, causing him to yelp and jump in panic. They both looked excited, _really_ excited. It was creeping him out.

"How did you-" Marco started but was cut off when his parents ran over to Comet, nearly knocking him and Star aside in the process.

"Hello!" Marco's father greeted the girl and grabbed her hand, shaking in violently and leaving the girl startled. "I'm Marco's father, but you can call me Rafael!"

He let go of her hand. A moment later, Mrs. Diaz grabbed her hand, shaking it more casually than her husband. "And my name's Angie, Marco's mother. It's a pleasure to have you over...?"

"I'm Comet, Star's cousin and the future Queen of Celestia," the girl cheerfully stated, putting on a smile. "And this little guy is Cosmos," she said, pointing at the small wolf in her arms with her eyes. The said creature barked and wiggled it's tail. Upon hearing the bark, the laser-eyed-puppies stormed down the staircase, swarming Comet. Cosmos looked at Comet, to which she nodded and set him to the floor. The group of small canines then ran off, barking all the way.

Marco shuddered, the mere image of cleaning up he would have to do sending a shiver down his spine.

"Well, it's a pleasure to have you over, your highness-"

"Oh no! Please don't give me the 'your highness'..." Comet rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Just call me Comet,"

Mrs. Diaz chuckled. "Alright then, Comet, to what do we owe the pleasure of having you over?"

"Well, I wasn't able to make it to the wedding, so I thought it'd be only fair if I paid my cousin a little visit, since we haven't seen each other for quite a long time," the princess explained.

Mr. Diaz then noticed something. "Oh, you have a wand too?" he asked, pointing at her heart-shaped wand, which was strapped to her skirt.

Comet nodded. "Yep!"

The princess took her wand into her hand, showing it off. "I got it after graduating the Grand Wizard and Sorcerer's Academy!"

"Now that is impressive!" Mr. Diaz exclaimed. "You should take her as an example, Star."

The said princess narrowed her eyes and muttered something under her breath.

"Mom," Marco spoke up. "I invited her over for dinner. Is that ok?"

"Why wouldn't it be? You know how much your father and I love having guests over!" was the woman's reply.

Marco nodded and walked into the kitchen, Star and Comet following him.

The trio sat down, Star taking the chair next to Marco's, and Comet sitting down beside her. Mr. Diaz soon joined them while Marco's mother finished preparing the tacos and placed them on the table.

"Huh?" Star uttered, noticing that she had only one taco on her plate, not two, as per usual. "Um, I don't mean to be rude here but, where's the other one?"

"Star, I know you usually like to eat two, but since we weren't expecting guests I didn't buy enough groceries for more, so would you mind sharing one with your cousin?" Mrs. Diaz explained.

"Oh... s-sure! No problem at all! Here!" Star spoke while handing one of the tacos over to her cousin, who accepted it with a smile and a nod.

"That reminds me," Mrs. Diaz started, looking eagerly at Comet, who was apparently enjoying her taco. "Do you have a place to stay yet?"

"No, I don't," Comet admitted, swallowing her food and wiping her mouth with a tissue. "But I'll find some accommodation, don't worry"

"Well," Mr. Diaz spoke up after a quick chuckle. "I don't know what kind of customs you're used to, but here on Earth, we never turn down a guest, so you are staying over here for the night; No buts!"

"Especially if that guest is family," Mrs. Diaz added, smirking and looking at Marco and Star.

"Mom!" Marco whined. Star was too busy eating her taco to say anything.

The other three laughed. Mrs. Diaz returned her attention to Comet. "Anyway; we insist that you stay here for the time being. We don't have a guest room free right now, but you can share Star's room. Are you ok with that, Star?"

"Oh, sure," Star responded, albeit with a hint of delay. "I mean, why wouldn't I want to share the room I've been staying in ever since I came to Earth with somebody else, right?"

"That's the spirit!" Mr. Diaz delightedly exclaimed, not catching the sarcasm in her voice. Strangely enough, nobody in the room did.

Mrs. Diaz put on a smirk. "Or you could let your cousin stay in your room and sleep over in Marco's room..."

" **MOM!** " Marco shouted, not the least bit amused. ( _A/N: :3_ )

"What? You two seemed to enjoy cuddling on the couch when you fell asleep the other night," the woman stated and chuckled.

Both Marco and Star felt their faces burning up.

"T-that was... uhh..."Marco stuttered, unable to find a good comeback. Star was frozen stiff.

Mrs. Diaz leaned closer to Comet. "I still have pictures of that. Wanna see?"

Comet laughed and, upon seeing the young couple's embarrassed faces, decided to give them a break. "You know what, I think I'd be happier hanging out with my cousin for awhile longer, so I'm gonna stay with her."

"Thank you..." Marco let out a sigh of relief. Star also seemed relieved, but also slightly upset.

Dinner passed wth countless questions being asked, Comet happily answering each and every single one. Marco's parents seemed to be even more thrilled about the girl with every answer they got, which was infuriating Star more and more, since every time she tried to speak up, she was cut off.

After an hour or so, Marco looked at the clock and walked away from the table. "If you'll excuse me, I think it's time for me to feed the dogs,"

"Dogs..." Comet muttered, then stood up and raced over to the boy, grabbing him by the shoulder. "That reminds me, didn't you say something about wanting some advice on how to take care of those three pet hellhounds you have?"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot about that!" Marco stated. "I'd be happy to get some advice, if you don't mind,"

"Just show me the way!" the girl stated. Marco nodded and motioned her to follow him.

"Can I come?" Star asked, standing up and walking over to the two.

"Err, sorry Star, but I don't really see you being of much help with this, so why don't you just go to your room and relax a bit?" Marco replied.

"Oh..." Star muttered, her expression blank. "S-sure! If you really don't need any help, then-"

"Alright, we'll be back in a bit," Marco finished and walked outside with Comet, closing the door.

"Yeah... whatever..." Star muttered, tilting her head and dragging herself upstairs. Marco's parents exchanged a curious look and shrugged, not really knowing what all of that was about.

She entered her room and slammed the door, then flopped face-firt onto her bed, letting out a frustrated scream into her pillow."Stupid cousin!" the girl exclaimed before rolling over and staring at the ceiling. She closed her eyes, deciding to take a nap.

 _Later that evening_

Star was woken up by the sound of someone opening her door. It was Marco, who had a cheerful expression on his face. Star yawned and stretched her arms. Upon looking at the window, she noticed that it was night.

"Star!" Marco exclaimed, sitting down next to her. "You would not believe how good your cousin is with dogs!"

"Oh, really?" the princess muttered.

Marco nodded. "Yeah! She even helped me teach them not to bark at people who walk past our house, plus she even managed to get them to ignore other dogs while on their walk! How cool is that? Your cousin is amazing!"

Star narrowed her eyes. "Well, it sure sounds like you two had a fun time."

"Oh, yeah, it was pretty fun," Marco nodded. "And by the way, I was thinking of the three of us going to Emilio's Pizza tomorrow, so she can taste it! Whaddaya say?"

"Actually, since the two of you are having so much _fun_ without me, why don't you just go by yourselves!" Star snapped, glaring at the boy.

"Wha-" Marco raised an eyebrow.

"You heard me!" Star continued. "You seem to be enjoying yourself around her way more than you do around me, so I am just going to fulfill your wish and give you all the alone time you want!"

"Was there something strange in that taco you ate?" Marco calmly asked. Star was not amused.

"Don't take me for a fool, Marco. I see how well you two get along and how she's trying to take over my life!"

"Excuse me but... **_what!?_** " Marco exclaimed. He knew Star liked rushing headfirst into things, but this was just something else. "How in the world did you come up with that conclusion?"

"Let's see," Star began, "She's been hogging your attention, she took my spotlight on the wall of fame, she's occupied my room, and she even took my taco!" Star exclaimed, waving her hands, Marco staring at her. Star then grabbed Marco by the collar and dragged his face closer to hers. "She took my taco, Marco!"

"You're this mad over a friggin' taco?" Marco asked her, his face mere inches away from hers.

Star let go of him and crossed her arms. "I am mad because I am being replaced by her and wish that stupid cousin of mine had never come here in the first place!"

"Star, calm down and listen! That's not-"

"So, you don't want me around, do you?" The two suddenly heard a familiar voice speak up.

Star widened her eyes and turned her head around, only now noticing Comet standing in the doorway, a sad smile on her face. Star opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, her voice failing her.

"Yeah, I thought so..." Comet muttered and walked out of sight.

"Star!" Marco exclaimed, catching her attention, "What on Earth was that for!?"

"What was what for?" Star replied, trying to play dumb, with little success.

"You know exactly what I mean; just because you're mad doesn't mean you have the right to say stuff like that, especially about your own cousin!"

"Alright, maybe I should have chosen my words more carefully but, am I wrong?" The girl pointed out. "All day long it's been 'Comet's better than Star at this' and 'Comet's better than Star at that'; you've been head over heels for her all day long! All of you!"

"What? Star, no offense, but that's not even remotely true-"

"But you do like her, right!?" Star accused him.

"Well duh! She's your cousin and a nice person, so of course I like her! We all like her, _as a person_!" The boy stated.

"Then," Star started, "Why have you been acting so nice her all day long?"

"What do you mean?" Marco asked, not sure where the mewman princess was going with this. "Star, she's a guest, and your cousin to boot! Of course I behaved nicely to her!"

"But you kept sticking close to her and kept explaining stuff to her, while I was trailing behind you two on the way home! You didn't even pay attention to me!" Star argued.

"Yeah, I didn't want her to get lost, so I was explaining the layout of the city to her; I mean, you sometimes get lost even though you've been on Earth for over a year now, and I don't need another interdimensional princess running rampantly around town. As much as she seems trustworthy, she _is_ related to you," Marco explained.

"Well... fair enough," Star paused, then jumped slightly, pointing a finger at him. "What about your parents! They seemed thrilled to have her around and didn't even listen to me when I tried talking!"

"They're kinda nutty when it comes to exchange students and guests, and so am I! Remember Gustav?" Marco responded.

Star pondered the thought. She still very well remembered her anger and frustration from that time, especially when it turned out that the boy had been a fraud the entire time. Was she experiencing something similar with her cousin, perhaps?

"Now that you mention it, that does make sense..." Star admitted.

Marco put a hand on her shoulder. "Star, why do you always get jealous over stupid things like this?"

"I mean," Star began, "She's so perfect and you two have been getting along all day long, plus you're both so similar and you're both nerds! Meanwhile, I'm just...me... and-"

Star was cut off by Marco, who wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. Star was startled; she was usually the one to initiate their hugs, so this was a pleasant surprise.

"Are you feeling a bit... insecure?" He asked her.

Star pondered the word for a bit. While it did annoy her when her friends only paid attention and kept comparing her to Comet, is stung whenever Marco did it, so...

"I-I don't know... maybe?" Star replied.

He broke the hug and looked into her eyes. The loving smile that he bore made Star made her hearts radiate a pinkish light. "Star, there's no reason for you to feel insecure. I just figured that, since she's your cousin, you'd appreciate it if I showed her a good time and got along with her," Marco explained.

"So, t-that's it?" Star asked, a hint of shame in her voice. "So you're not, attracted to her, or anything?"

"Yeah, well, she may seem perfect n' all but-" Marco gave her a quick peck on the cheek, startling her. "You're perfect to me, Star. It's nice hanging out with her, but nothing can beat spending time with you..." he finished.

Star blinked a few times, then put on a tender smile, his reassuring words (finally) calming her down. She then frowned and looked at the still-open door.

"So I basically just hurt my cousin's feelings over something that was in my head the whole time?" she asked nobody in particular, then sighed deeply. "Wow; I'm a jerk..."

"You're not a jerk, Star. You're one of the kindest people I know; You just let your emotions get the better of you. It happens to us all," Marco explained.

Star paused. "You think she'll forgive me?"

"Well, only one way to find out," Marco stated, a tiny smile on his face. Star nodded, understanding his message, and walked out of the room, hoping to trade her cousin. It didn't take long, luckily, because she noticed Cosmos standing in the hallway and looking at her, then pointing at an opened hatch on the roof with a ladder, where Comet had climbed through. Star thanked the little wolf and went onto the roof.

Star spotted her cousin sitting on the edge of the roof, hunched over and staring into the distance. Twirling her fingers, the young princess made her way over to the girl on the rooftop.

"Hi..." Star greeted. Comet turned her head around and spotted her, then put on a small smile.

"Oh, hi!" Comet greeted her with a smile, trying to sound enthusiastic. An awkward silence followed, another of the girls really knowing what to say.

"Can I... sit down, next to you?" Star cautiously asked.

"I don't know, _can_ you?" Comet replied in a teasing voice.

Star rolled her eyes. "May I sit next to you?"

Comet smiled. "Sure..."

Star nodded and sat down a few feet away from her, then the two shared a companionable silence. How was she supposed to approach this?

"I've always been jealous of you, you know..." Comet told Star, breaking the silence. The latter widened her eyes, this statement having seemingly come out of nowhere.

"Huh?" The Mewman princess asked.

Comet nodded, then sighed.

"But why? I mean look at you!" Star exclaimed. "You're smart, pretty, good with magic, good at sports; you're the most perfect girl I know!" Star added.

"Yeah, and if I could swap places with you and _be you_ for just one moment, I'd be happier than I've ever been!" Comet retorted.

"What do you mean?" Star wondered. "Compared to you, I'm a mess! You have everything figured out and always make the right decisions, while my friends and Marco have to drag me out of trouble every other day!"

Comet smiled. "That's nothing to be ashamed of! Star, that's what friends are for; like you just said, no matter how much trouble you're in, you have friends that are always willing to help you and stand by your side! You're lucky to have those because, apart from Cosmos, I have nobody like that..."

"You're kidding, right?" Star asked, her eyebrow raised. "Everyone you've met today likes you and wants to be friends with you," Star stated.

"Yeah, at first, it's always like that..." Comet took a deep breath. "Everyone always likes me before they get sick of me..."

"That's crazy!" Star exclaimed. "I mean, what about your friends from the academy? Knowing you, I'm sure they're great people."

"Well if I had any, then maybe they would be," Comet replied, sighing deeply. "It all start's off the same; at first everyone's like 'Oh my gosh, look at her! She's so amazing! Let's hang out with her' and ends like 'I just wish she'd drop dead!"

"What!?" Star exclaimed with no hesitation.

"OK, maybe I'm exaggerating," Comet admitted, "But sooner or later, people don't wanna have anything to do with me because they hate being compared to me; It's happened to everyone so far and today, it happened to you, too. *Sigh* Sometimes I wish I could be less... 'perfect'..."

"Well, to heck with those people!" Star exclaimed, gaining Comet's attention. "The people you met today are different. I've been with them for over a year now, and they're some of the nicest people you'll ever see! They had no trouble accepting me, this crazy magical princess from another dimension that fights monsters all the time, so they'll definitely be happy to have you as one of their friends!"

Comet smiled.

"If other's can't accept you for who you are, then they're not even worth your friendship!" Star looked off to the side, baring a shameful expression. "And today, neither was I..."

Comet raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Star looked at the girl in shame "What I mean is that I'm really sorry for what I said back there, I definitely shouldn't have done that, I-"

Star stopped when she noticed Comet chuckling, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Wow, do you always make a big deal of out everything?" Comet asked, smiling. Star was confused. "So you were ranting and said a few things out of anger, big deal! You're still my favorite cousin!"

"So then, you're not... mad at me or... hurt, or anything?" Star asked, unsure what to make of this situation.

Comet waved her hand dismissively. "Nah, don't worry. I know you didn't mean it, you were just venting. And I get where you were coming from; I'd be frustrated too if some girl came over and started seemingly taking over my life, so I can't really blame you for that,"

"Then," Star continued, "Why did you come out to the rooftop all by yourself,"

Comet smiled and looked upwards. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Isn't what beautiful?" Star asked and directed her gaze towards the sky, widening her eyes. The sight of the millions of flickering stars in the crystal-clear sky stole her breath. Had it always been so beautiful? "Wow... I've never noticed how pretty the sky is at night..."

"I know, right?" Comet muttered. "Whenever I'm feeling down, I just look up there and remember how majestic this universe really is, and how many mysteries it holds, waiting to be uncovered..." the girl chuckled and looked at Star, the mewman princess returning her gaze. "Stupid, right?" she joked and the two girls shared a laugh and a smile. All was well again, but Star still had something on her chest.

"Comet, is there any way I can make up for, ya know, today?" Star asked the girl rubbing the back of her head.

"Star, there's really no need for that!" Comet stated. "I'm not gonna hold a grudge against you or anything, and besides; That stuff you said, just now, it's all I needed to hear!"

"C'mon! There's gotta be something I can do for you!" Star insisted.

"You don't have to do anything, really!" Comet replied, smiling. "Honestly, the only thing I'd really want is to be you for a day and see what it's like to hang out with that many friends and explore Earth; Heh, not like that's ever gonna happen,"

Star fell into thought, examining Comet for a few moments, then smirked devilishly. "Actually, I think we can arrange something..."

"Oh?" Comet uttered. Star leaned closer to her and began whispering something into her ear. Once she'd finished, Comet looked at her in excitement. "Really!? Are you serious!?"

Star nodded. "Just... don't tell Marco about it, alright?"

Comet mimicked Star's smirk, looking almost identical as the mewman princess.

On the other end of the rooftop, Marco, who had snuck up to observe the two, gulped; he knew that look too well...

"Oh boy..." he muttered, ready for the worst.

 _ **End of Episode 1**_

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **What did happen in the library? I'm gonna leave that up to your imagination. Other than that, I'm gonna have to push the next update to 2 weeks (unless a miracle happens) since I have my physics, and computer term exams coming up! Wish me luck, my friends!**

 **Also, I'll try to update as soon as possible. It's actually frustrating me that I'm not able to push chapters out sooner, but there's nothing I can really do about it, so I apologise if it's inconvenient for you guys.**

 **Expected update: In 1-2 weeks.**


	6. Chapter 2: Playing Hooky, Part 1

**A/N:**

 **MY OPINION ON THE MID-SEASON 2 FINALE:**

 **Alright, so I'm guessing that everyone here has seen the latest episode, right? I mean, it's been like, 4 days? Good. I'm gonna be honest, the most feels I had in this episode was when Bon Bon died at 40 seconds into the episode. Why? Because I'm kinda disappointed that Nefcy went with a cliché turn of events, the whole 'Main character suddenly loses everything that's important to her and gets her heart broken' kinda thing. And you know how I HATE rushed romances? Well, this episode featured exactly that! *Slow clap* Honestly, I mean, *sigh*, Jackie suddenly coming out with all of those things and those generic words they exchanged, it... just didn't feel real at all. It felt like I was reading a bad fanfic, sadly. And Jackie conveniently asking Marco out on the _day of the dance_ AFTER he'd agreed to go with Star... yeah... completely legit. And call me heartless, but Star breaking down at the end and crying, that was literally forcing feels onto the audience and making the viewer pity her, which is not cool in my book, so I was, again, kinda disappointed that they went with it.**

 **The only thing I can praise in that episode was the Bloodmoon subplot and Star losing control of her powers for a moment, which indicates that the show is about to take a darker turn, much like Nefcy told us it would, so the next season looks promising!**

 **All in all, I would rate this episode as one of the show's lowest, plot-wise. Would I have changed my opinion had Starco happened? No, I would have been even more disappointed. Why? The way things went was actually one of my predictions, although I was hoping that it wouldn't happen. Not so much because of Jackie and Marco going out, that didn't really phase me since, again, I saw it as the most likely turn of events (for now) but more because of the fact that there was so much more potential for good character and relationship development between Jackie and Marco, which I like most of all (the development, not them as a couple) and they completely blew it by forcing them into a relationship in... 15 minutes? I see and understand what their intent was but honestly, this whole episode was just sloppy writing. So yeah, I'm glad that Starco didn't happen in this episode otherwise it would have felt fake and rushed.**

 **Also, now you guys see why I keep portraying Marco as a jerk? I read his character perfectly, if I may be so bold, and I always saw him as a kind of opportunist; sure, he does care for others, but at the end of the day, the moment he sees a chance for personal gain, he goes for it and ignores how it might affect somebody else. (If you're going to argue that Star also agreed to go to the seance without informing him first, 1.) Janna is manipulative and 2.) She'd have gone with him had he not found a date, I guarantee it). And that scene when he just jumps over to Jackie after Star NEARLY DIED + when Star was literally crying in his arms, he sounded like he didn't even care... I couldn't help but shake my head at what they let slide in this episode. They literally forced a relationship between Marco and Jackie just to spite the audience. At least, that's how this episode turned out.**

 **Now, will this affect my writing? I will take this opportunity to say that, due to the turn of events in the episode, I will refuse to write any more Starco! Yep! From now on, I'll be writing Marar! I know it's basically the same thing but think I care?**

 **You guys can sleep calmly at night, what happened will have no effect on my story or my writing. I just hope that the rest of Season 2 will redeem the show's good name because honestly, the way they rushed Jarco just to send the audience into a panic was pathetic... I still love the show but, meh... seriously questioning the writer's choices in this one.**

 **I guess I do have to give Nefcy _some_ credit for having the guts to actually pull this off, but it was a bad decision nevertheless.**

 **So, my final opinion on this episode? Simply put: A trainwreck with WAY too many forced and rushed things, which I hope they will fix in the future episodes or at least justify and explain them.**

 **P.S. STOP hating on Jackie! I know you're upset but that's no reason for you to hate her! She's still a great character, the writers blew it, not her! She's still my 4th favourite one!**

 **Now, moving onto another topic that had me grinning like an idiot: Some of you are probably familiar with 'Regular Show', right? Now, I'm not a huge fan of it, but God bless those writers! Basically what happened was that a friend linked me last week's episode (Season 8 Episode 23: No Train No Gain) and just told me 'Watch this'. I was really confused. Anyway, I decided to watch it and was like 'OK, it's good but... what's so special about it?'. Then, I heard it. They played Power Metal in a children's cartoon! F*** Power Metal! About f*** time! This may seem like something stupid to you guys but it literally restored my faith in humanity that the writers of the show actually looked beyond a stupid stereotype and added metal into a cartoon, and one of my favourite songs to boot! (Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce; give it a try, you won't regret it)**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Guest Sorta: Well, your opinion shifts easily, doesn't it xD?**

 **ElleFreak: Thanks! And, like I said, be ready for a few dark twists and turns!**

 **DonDonatek: Meh, I'll have pity on Marco :P. He's a jerk, as the latest episode has proved, but I'm a kind man.**

 **Bigmike33321: Did it seem like I was bashing her? I think the tender moment she shared with Marco was sweet... Guess you want more fluff, then? Well if that's the case then you'll be happy once episode 3 is out! This one, however... you'll be shocked, teehee...**

 **Rock Raider: I already PM'd you about the other thing, but I highly doubt you managed to predict the plot for this 'Episode'. Be ready, is all I can say :P**

 **Captin jar: Um, thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Episode 2**

 **Playing Hooky**

 **Part 1**

 _Location: Unknown_

The room was pitch black, not a single ray of light to illuminate its already dark walls. It was quiet, an almost tranquil atmosphere present in the room, yet it felt eerie.

Suddenly, a door at the other end of the room opened, a tall figure stepping through. He closed the door behind himself, plunging the room into darkness once more.

The figure stood there, waiting.

A portal opened, purple its colour, and he walked in.

As he exited through the other end of this space-time anomaly the lights of the numerous candles and oiled-lanterns shined upon his black tuxedo and lizardy skin, revealing his entire body, apart from the missing finger on his hand.

Toffee.

On the other end of the room opposite to him was a dark throne placed atop a stairway, and sitting on it, a woman, shrouded in shadows, the two spade symbols on her cheeks glowing brightly. She was holding something in her arms, a small creature of some sorts, gently stroking its back.

Toffee made his way over to her, stopping before the staircase and bowing his head.

"You called, milady?" the lizard politely asked his mistress.

She let go of her pet, which jumped away from her like a cat and vanished into the shadows.

"It seems we've have encountered a problem, my servant," the woman said and snapped her fingers. Moments later, a flying mirror manifested itself in front of her, seemingly out of thin air. It floated over to Toffee, who studied it for a few moments, his expression unchanging. The woman snapped her fingers again, dismissing the object into Oblivion.

"I see," Toffee stated, scratching his chin, "And, what shall I do about it? Should I attend to the matter myself?"

"No, that's too risky; if you were to get spotted now our entire plan would be jeopardised," The woman placed both of her hands together, making a thoughtful gesture. "Simply inform my daughter of the situation and tell her to be highly cautious for the time being, and to avoid contact with anyone whom she doesn't trust, especially strangers."

"And, what about Star Butterfly?" Toffee asked. "I'm assuming that she's the target," the lizard added.

"I wouldn't worry about her; as long as she's together with that Diaz boy, no harm should befall her. Those two make a formidable duo..." the woman commented, her voice rich and powerful, nearly identical to that of Queen Moon Butterfly, just like her figure and hair, shrouded in shadows.

"The bond they share in indeed unusually strong; It will be of much use to us when the time comes," Toffee smirked.

"Right you are, my servant, right you are..." the woman muttered, then waved her hand dismissively. "Now go! I've grown tired of this idle chatting!"

Toffee nodded and bowed, and left the room, no further words escaping his mouth.

When he was gone, the womanly figure looked towards the wall on her right side, at a picture, to be more precise. It was a simple painting of a teenage Moon Butterfly, smiling at the observer. The most noticeable thing about the picture, however, was the missing left half of it, evidently having been torn away, the rip more than obvious. The only thing hinting about what could have been on it was a human hand covering a small porting of young Moon's dress.

The woman sighed. She then placed one hand underneath her chin and the other on her throne, tapping her fingers on it.

 _Soon, my dear Moon, soon..._

 _Monday, the Diaz' household_

Marco Diaz woke to the sound of his alarm clock, the loud ringing indicating that it was time for him to get up, lest he wanted to miss school, which would have been a true horror story for the 15-year old boy.

Groggily, he got up and straightened his back, a cracking sound resonating as he did, after which he let a long yawn out and jumped out of bed, still half-asleep. He walked over to his closet and opened it then began studying its contents. Inside hung seven identical pairs of red hoodies and blue jeans, one for each day of the week. Marco took out the 1st pair which was labelled 'Monday'.

The boy then opened a smaller drawer next to his closet and from it extracted a pair of underwear and socks. He then shifted the closet door so that it concealed his entire figure, only to close it a few moments later, fully dressed aside from his trademark sneakers which were downstairs.

He heard a noise coming from his and Star's shared bathroom, well essentially Star's given that the girl's items occupied over 90% of the bathroom shelves, and became tense.

He was both eager and scared out of his with to find out exactly what the two girls were planning to do. After he'd eavesdropped on them and caught then smirking at each other, he could only imagine the worst to happen since he knew very well what _that_ smirk meant.

What was even worse was the fact that the two girls had spent the majority of Sunday in Star's room, soundproofing it with magic and discussing their plan, not even letting Cosmos in. Oddly enough, the small wolf had apparently grown fond of Marco and the boy could have sworn that the little guy seemed concerned as well, especially when weird noises started coming from Star's room.

Anyway, Sunday had been mundane for him, playing with Cosmos and the puppies while waiting for the two girls to come out, which they didn't, not even for dinner. They were clearly up to something and Marco even overheard Star talking to someone over the phone. Who it was, however, he could only guess.

Marco made his was over to the bathroom and entered, the door being open. There he saw Star, dressed in her stripped teal sleeveless dress and wearing her pink boots with white bunny faces on them. The young princess was brushing her teeth.

"Morning, Star," Marco greeted the girl, who muttered something in return, the toothbrush making her words unintelligible. Marco's best guess was that she's said 'Good morning' to him as well.

With a shrug and a smile, he made his was over to the sink and splashed his face with ice-cold water, making sure to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes, after which he thoroughly brushed his teeth while Star combed her long blond hair.

After a companionable silence, Star turned towards him with a smile. "So, Marco, what crazy plans do we have for today?" She cheerfully exclaimed, her face beaming.

Marco blinked a couple of time, studying the girl in from of him, his expression unreadable. Star looked at him in confusion. "Oh, good morning, Comet," Marco bluntly greeted the girl, whose expression dropped. He then curiously looked around the bathroom and turned his attention back to the girl in front of him. "Say, where's Star? We're gonna miss the bus if she doesn't hurry up."

"W-what are you talking about! I'm Star!" the girl exclaimed, then reached into her hair, taking out the royal magic want to prove it. "See!"

Marco crossed his arms and shot her the 'really?' look. After a few moments, the girl sighed in defeat.

"How could you tell so easily? Was is that obvious?" Comet asked him. "I mean, don't I look and sound exactly like her?" she added.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, your disguise is perfect," Marco casually assured her.

"Then... how could you tell I wasn't her so effortlessly?"

Marco shrugged. " I dunno; I just looked at you and something in my brain just, I don't know, ticked..." he explained. "Anyway, not wanting to sound cliché here but... what's with the getup?"

Comet sighed, her expression growing worried. "I was hoping you wouldn't figure it out..."

"Figure out what? What's going on here?" Marco asked her, more confused than ever.

"Alright, so the other night when I and Star were talking on the rooftop, she told me that I could swap places with her for a day and finally get to experience things from her perspective,". Marco raised an eyebrow at the girl, who looked both nervous and worried.

"So that's the reason you two spent the majority of yesterday locked in her room?" Marco concluded.

Comet nodded. "Yeah. We wanted to make a perfect plan and make sure my disguise was flawless," she explained, then pointed a finger at her cheeks, trying to point out the two heart-shaped symbols on them. "See; We added this special makeup so that my star-insignia wouldn't give it away,"

"Ok then, 2 question," Marco calmly began, not seeming to be too thrilled about this. "Have you gone crazy? And where is Star?"

"Uhh..." Comet scratched the back of her head, grinning sheepishly. "You see..."

 _Meanwhile_

"C'mon princess! Hurry it up, or do you want me to carry you all the way?" Janna smugly exclaimed, glancing back at Star, who was trailing behind her, running at full speed.

"Hey! No fair! You know I can't run as fast as you!" Star stated, her expression bearing anger.

Janna chuckled. "What can I say? Stalking people in the middle of the night really improves your stamina," she stated

Star scoffed, not really caring about such petty details. "Whatever! How much longer until we're there?"

"Oh, it's not much further," Janna started, "Just another 50 miles-"

" **WHAT!?"** Star shrieked.

Janna grinned devilishly. "Got ya!"

Star frowned. Janna laughed and slowed down to a walking pace to allow Star to catch up to her. "If you hate walking so much, then why not just summon some magic thingy with your wand and drive us there?"

Star shook her head. "I can't; I left my wand with Comet and I'm not sure how to use her's" the princess explained, taking out Comets wand and shouting 'Narwhal Blast', yet nothing happened. "See? I thought it was just a regular wand but it doesn't wanna work!"

Janna snapped her fingers. "Shoot!" she girl exclaimed.

"Anyway, don't you think it would be a good idea to finally tell me where you're taking us to?" Star asked, placing Comet's wand into her pocket. In hindsight, she probably should have pulled some details out of Janna _before_ including her in the plan and letting her dictate some parts of it. Then again, who knew more about skipping school without getting caught more than Janna. A thought suddenly occurred to Star.

"Say," the princess began, "I know that I'm covered, but won't you get in trouble?"

Janna smirked. "Please! My middle name is trouble!"

"What? But I thought your middle name was-" Star paused. "Come to think of it, I don't know your middle name... or your last name!"

"And let's keep it that way," Janna casually stated, further confusing Star. "And anyway, speaking of having yourself covered, are you sure are you sure that Marco will even buy it?"

"Don't be silly, of he _won't_ fall for it! He's not an idiot!" Star emphasised. Janna raised an eyebrow at her. "That's why I told Comet to give him the puppy-dog eyes; Marco's a sucker for those!"

"Note taken," Janna bluntly stated, making a mental note she could, later on, use against Marco.

"So," Star started as the two girls began walking at a normal pace. "You gonna tell me where you're taking me to or not?"

"Chillax Star!" Janna coolly responded. "Just let me lead the way! I think you'll like the surprise."

"Oh, a surprise!" Star excitedly exclaimed. "What is it? What is it?"

Janna nodded. "Yep. I am taking you somewhere only a handful of people have been, so far."

Star jumped up and down from excitement. "Yay! This is so much better than boring school!"

Janna nodded in agreement. The two girls fastened their pace, Star eager to find out what Janna's 'surprise' was.

 _Back to Marco and Comet_

" **Star's playing hooky!?** " Marco yelled, shocked. Comet chuckled awkwardly.

"Nobody really uses that term anymore but basically, yes..." the girl admitted.

Marco grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her. "And with Janna... _with Janna!?_ "

Comet blinked. "If you mean that girl who's constantly creeping people out on purpose and wanted me to bring a demon into our realm, then yeah, with Janna."

Marco sighed. His head hurt all of a sudden, so he placed the palm of his hand on his forehead and shook his head. "This cannot be happening..." the boy muttered, his voice exhausted from the thought of Star being left alone with Janna, and skipping school to boot!

"We've gotta find her before those two get too far," Marco began, walking towards the bathroom door. "I don't know what the two of you were thinking but this whole thing has 'bad idea' written all over it!" the boy added, opening the bathroom door.

He heard a sad sigh from behind him and turned around to see Comet looking at the floor in shame.

"What?" he asked.

"Oh, it's nothing..." the girl said halfheartedly, "I was just so excited to finally see what being my cousin felt like, if only for a day..."

Upon hearing that, Marco's expression softened.

Comet chuckled, hanging her head. "Well, looks like I can cross that off my list..." she added, visibly depressed.

Marco looked at her with pitiful eyes, Comet seemingly growing sadder with each passing moment. And then, it happened; she gave him the puppy-dog eyes. Those darn puppy-dog eyes!

Normally, Marco wouldn't have given in so easily, but looking at Comet, he imagined Star looking as depressed, which was no problem to imagine given that Comet _did_ look like Star, especially at this moment!

Finally, after a full minute of silence, Marco groaned. "OK, fine! I guess one day wouldn't hurt and-"

"Are you serious!?" Comet exclaimed in pure excitement. Marco hesitantly nodded.

Comet began jumping up and down from pure glee, "Wow! I can't believe it really was that easy!" the girl exclaimed. Upon realising what she'd just said, she promptly stopped her energetic displayed and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Marco became suspicious. "That easy? What are you-" suddenly, it hit him. The boy smacked his forehead, disappointed at himself that he'd fallen for something so obvious. He shot Comet an accusing look. "Let me guess: Star told you how to get to my soft spot, didn't she?"

Comet whistled, looking to the side and swaying her hips back and forth.

Marco sighed. "Well played, Star, well played..."

"So..." Comet hesitantly began, dragging the word. "May I...?"

"Urgh! Yes! You can come to school with me and pretend to be Star!" the boy said loudly, not seeming pleased with how the events had turned out.

A high pitched 'squee' escaped Comet's mouth, the girl seeming like she would burst from joy at any moment. However, Marco caught twice, gaining her attention.

"But-" he raised his index finger, "You are to stay where I can see you, alright? No running around off your own!" he looked to the side, "One crazy princess is more than enough for this town," he muttered.

"I promise!" Comet replied with no hesitation, putting one hand on her heart and raising the other to the height of her head, smiling cheerfully all the while.

The girl then rushed out of the bathroom, saying that she had something to do regarding Cosmos before the two could go downstairs and have breakfast.

Marco sighed deeply.

This was going to be a long day.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **And now you know why I designed Comet to look like a cheap ripoff of Star and Sonic the Hedgehog characters (apparently). I told you guys that there's a purpose to everything I do. Fair warning on the next few chapters; things are going to get hectic and eventful, so be on the lookout!**

 **Other than that, feel free to leave some feedback, and I'll see you next time! Bye!**

 **Expected Update: NO IDEA!**


	7. Chapter 2: Playing Hooky, Part 2

**A/N: Massive shoutouts to Luzz015 for letting me use her amazing drawing of Star and Marco as the new cover for my story! Thanks you SO MUCH! You guys be sure to check her out on DeviantArt, under the username 'Luzz015'!**

 **P.S. I saw the results of a public internet poll that people recently voted on about which ship they support the most, and, well... 7.5k people voted and Starco won with around 4000 votes. I was cool with that but... *clears throat*... HOW THE HELL DID TOMCO GET 2ND PLACE WITH NEARLY 3K VOTES? Are you telling me that people are so salty that they'd rather ship Marco with Tom than Marco with Jackie? Are you kidding me XD!?**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RedHood001: Sry, I'm too stupid to see what you meant by that.**

 **Rock Raider: I think you'll be surprised with the direction in taking this story in.**

 **Guest/Guest Sorta: Just make an account and log in xD, not that hard to do. And yes, hectic and eventful.**

 **Princess: I'm gonna sound like a jerk but I literally burst into laughter upon seeing the words 'highschool' and 'hard' in the same sentence. I don't mean that I'm a genius or that you're stupid or anything like that! What I mean is that I just now realised how simple high school was compared to College. I'd study 1 day before the exam and get an A, yet here I break my head to solve a single equation... And I do have 1 or 2 real friends, which is enough for me. I'm a humble person and don't need much to be happy.**

 **Just a guy: Alright, here you go, buddy!**

 **ElleFreak: I'd reply to this but I think we covered everything in our Skype conversation, so yeah XD.**

 **poppy: I'm actually not familiar with the show. When I read your name and you mentioned 'Poppy', the 1st thing that popped into my mind was 'Poppy', The Keeper of the Hammer'. Either was, I might look up that 'Trolls' show when I have the time, if you really want me to do a fanfic about it. And, what is 'musicly'? Unless you link it to me directly via PM or something, I can't do anything... + In case you didn't know, I'm kind of a 'Metal and Rock' kinda guy (I draw a lot of my inspiration from certain songs), so the chances of me 'getting inspired' to write something are sadly slim... Apart from Shakira, that is :P; Shakira is cool.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

 **EDIT, December 4th, 11:35PM CET+1: The cover image doesn't wanna change properly. I've already contacted support and hope to have the issue resolved. I'm sad now, because the drawing is really great :(!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Episode 2:**

 **Playing Hooky**

 **Part 2**

"Alright, kids, time to get off," the bus driver, a small middle-aged man with a moustache told the kids as the bus came to a halt.

They got up and exited through the back and front entrances of the bus. After there was nobody left on it, the bus driver drove away.

"Well, we're here," Marco said, looking at Comet. The girl smiled widely, turning her head from left to right and taking in the scenery. This school was so much different from the Academy she'd recently graduated from. No high towers, no floating islands, no over-the-top design, just a simple structure with a front gate and a running track.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the school bell. She turned her head towards Marco, "What does that signal stand for?"

"Signal?" Marco questioned, not quite understanding her. Realisation soon hit him, "Oh, you mean the school bell? That's just to inform us that class is about to start, so we'd better hurry inside. Follow me," the boy told her and began walking. Comet eagerly followed him, soon catching up to him.

As they walked through the school halls, Marco tensed up; if he could so easily tell that the girl beside him wasn't the real Star, then maybe others would be able to as well.

His worries were put at ease when Justin and a group of cheerleaders casually greeted the duo, mostly Star, as they passed by. The same happened with a few other students and teachers, after which Marco let out a sigh of relief.

"Wow, I didn't know my cousin was this popular!" Comet exclaimed.

"Yeah. People kinda instantly fell in love with her," Marco responded.

Comet smirked. "Hmm... A very bold choice of words!"

"Oh, shut up!" the boy exclaimed, earning a giggle from Comet.

They arrived at the classroom and walked inside, where Marco guided 'Star' to her desk. She was greeted by even more classmates, aside from one raven-haired girl that merely narrowed her eyes at her. Comet raised her eyebrow and was about to question Marco about it but never got the chance as a giant female troll entered the room, slamming the door behind herself.

Instantly, Comet reached for her wand, or Star's wand, as it was, only to be stopped by Marco, who shook his head in panic. Comet was confused.

The troll made her way over to the front desk and sat down.

"Hello, class," she bluntly greeted the students.

"Good morning, Miss Skullnick," the all responded in unison.

Comet was baffled. She leant closer to Marco. "Wait, I thought this dimension didn't have any trolls!" she whispered.

"It doesn't!" Marco replied, "That's just another one of Star's little 'accidents'," he explained. Marco's next words came out as a whisper: "And believe me, it's an improvement!"

Comet raised an eyebrow, looking at Miss Skullnick, then took out Star's wand and shot Marco a questioning look. "Should I...?"

Marco shook his head. "Nah, she actually likes being a troll, oddly enough..." the boy explained. Comet was still confused but decided to just roll with it and hide her wand before anyone caught glimpse of it. Shortly after, Miss Skullnick began her lesson.

 _Meanwhile_

Star looked at her surroundings and frowned. _What a dump!_ She thought, referring to the numerous pieces of litter. that were scattered all over the ground. Not only that but the trees were really dense and the ground was uneven, so she had to watch her every step. Janna, on the other hand, seemed to be used to this, meaning that the girl probably walked this path very often.

"Ok!" Janna suddenly spoke, "Just keep following me. We'll be there soon," she said.

Star frowned. "You said that, like, 37 times already!" the princess exclaimed, growing impatient.

"Relax, we'll get there," Janna casually replied.

Star narrowed her eyes muttered something under her breath. _This better be worth it!_

 _Echo Creek Academy, after 1st period, Outside_

"Well, that sure was serendipitous!" Comet cheerfully exclaimed as she walked next to Marco. "You humans sure have a funny understanding of how the Universe works!"

Marco frowned. "It's not 'funny', it's scientifically and mathematically proven!" the boy retorted.

"Ah, young races!" Comet blissfully sighed, "How cute and naíve you are, thinking that you know so much, yet understand so little..."

"So you're saying that mathematics are useless?"

Comet nodded. "Yep!"

"Then explain to me how else you would solve problems that require addition, multiplication and division or figure out how astral bodies move and function!" Marco demanded. "Without maths, you couldn't explain half the stuff that happens in the universe!"

"Soooo cute!". Marco glared at her, causing her to giggle. "I would explain it to you," she began, "But unfortunately, you'd need to read at least the first three volumes of Tallara's research on Cosmic Forces and Time to even understand any of the terms, and even then you still wouldn't comprehend much, so let's just leave this topic be, alright?"

Marco muttered something under his breath; Didn't she come to school with him to be like Star for a day? If so, why was she not trying to have fun but was instead making fun of Earth's knowledge?

Now that he thought about it, he noticed that Comet was constantly turning her gaze from left to right, not in wonder and awe of seeing Earth culture, but in caution. Her look, when she wasn't speaking to anyone seemed reserved.

Marco shrugged; She was probably just trying her best not to stand out or something.

"Look," Marco suddenly said, stopping and pointing his finger in a certain direction, "There's Jackie!"

Indeed, the said girl was, as usual, riding her skateboard and high-fiving other students as she rode past them.

As Jackie rode closer and waved at the two, Comet eyed her seashell necklace and her hair. _It seems so familiar but, why...?_ she wondered. Since she'd first seen Jackie, something about the girl had been bothering her, not just her necklace...

Jackie approached the two, hopping off her skateboard. "Hey, Marco!" she cheerfully greeted the boy, who greeted her back, then the two began chatting.

To the side, Comet was still busy thinking, her eyes narrow, struggling to put the pieces together.

 _Seashell necklace... Mint green eyes... Aqua stripe on her hair..._

Comet froze, her eyes wide. An image popped up in her head, an image of a picture. _NO! Not a picture, a portrait!_ she swiftly corrected herself. She stared at Jackie, the pieces finally falling into place. _Could she really be..._

Comet shook her head, snapping out of her trance, hoping that neither of the two had noticed her spacing out. _I gotta make sure I'm right about this, and hope I'm not..._ she made a mental note.

Jackie and Marco finished their brief conversation and the former turned towards her with a smile.

"Hi, Sta-" Jackie paused.

"Um, Marco?" Jackie asked the boy, her voice sounding sceptical.

"Yes?"

"Would you mind telling me why you brought Star's cousin to school?"

Both Marco and Comet jumped and quickly looked around themselves to make sure nobody else had been in earshot to hear that. They both stepped closer to Jackie, Marco wrapping an arm around her and drawing her closer, startling her.

"Keep quiet! We don't want anyone else to find out! And how could you possibly tell!?" he whispered.

Jackie broke free from the boy's grip and bluntly stared at the two. "Because A: Star usually clings to you during school; You'd literally need a pair of tongs or Miss Skullnick to separate the two of you!" Marco blushed. Indeed, Star had developed a tendency of sticking _extremely_ close to him during school, often putting him in awkward positions. His best guess was that she was trying to show-off their 'newly-found-eternal-companionship-and-everlasting-love', as Janna liked to tease him.

"And B," Jackie continued, breaking Marco's trail of thoughts and raising his and Comet's left hands, "She isn't wearing her ring..."

"Dang it!" Comet smacked herself across the forehead. "I knew we forgot something!"

Marco sighed raised his finger. "You know, that _might_ just be the reason I recognised you so easily this morning..."

 _He's still making excuses?_ Jackie thought, finding the boy's obliviousness absurd at this point. "So," Jackie spoke, ignoring the thought, "Care to explain why you brought her here and where Star is?"

Marco looked from left to right, making sure nobody else was in earshot. "Hey! It's not like I wanted to! Those two came up with this plan without even consulting me, so what other choice did I have than to just go with it? And... no harm's being done, right?"

Jackie blinked a couple of times and looked at Comet. "You gave him the puppy-dog eyes, didn't you?"

Comet nodded, causing Marco to look away awkwardly.

"Alright then, I don't really care about why you're doing what you're doing, but where's Star? Aren't you obliged to make sure she goes to school?" Jackie inquired.

"She's with Janna," Marco responded.

"Well, that would explain why I haven't seen her today, which isn't anything out of the ordinary," Jackie said.

"Could you please not tell anyone?" Marco clasped his hands together, "You know how Miss Skullnick is when she catches someone skipping school and I really don't wanna get detention, **again**!" Marco said, referring to the fact that, since it was his responsibility to make sure Star went to school and didn't cause (too much) mayhem, he'd probably end up with detention as well.

"Don't worry, I won't say a word; _If_ you treat me for some ice cream, that is!" Jackie said with a smile and a wink.

Marco let out a sigh of relief and chuckled, "Trying to blackmail me now, are we?"

"I prefer the term 'one-sided negotiation'," Jackie said and the two shared another laugh.

To the side, Comet noticed something move in one of the trees. It was swift, too swift for her to tell what it was.

"Thanks, Jackie," Marco said and turned his attention toward Comet. "But in all seriousness, next time you do something like this, which you hopefully won't, make sure to get every little detail right! Some people may get suspicious when they don't see 'Star' wearing her ring..."

"Yeah, our bad," Comet bluntly admitted, staring into the distance with narrow eyes. he noticed something sparkle in one of the trees. In a fir of panic she started looking in all directions.

"Yep, especially since that ring doesn't even come off," Jackie added.

Marco nodded, then widened his eyes upon realising what Jackie had just said. He pointed a finger at her, "Um, how do you know that?"

Jackie jumped and shot him a panicked look, "Uh..."

Out of the corner of her eye, Comet spotted something. " **DUCK!** " the princess exclaimed as she lunged at Marco and Jackie, knocking them both down. Not a moment later, a tiny, sharp, metallic object flew past them, narrowly missing Comet's head and impaled itself into the ground, causing a crack in the pavement.

"Urgh..." Marco groaned, feeling dizzy. Jackie's reaction was similar.

"You two alright?" Comet swiftly asked, her voice direct and stone-cold. Her expression was dead-serious, a flare in her eyes. Marco was surprised; he didn't expect Comet of being capable of making such a face.

"Yeah, we're fine, I think," he looked at Jackie, who nodded. Marco then looked at the crack in the pavement and shot Comet a questioning look. "What was-"

Before he could finish, Comet stood up and dusted herself off, then grabbed her wand, or Star's wand, lifted up to chest-height and, holding it with both hands, began muttering an incantation. Before Marco could question what she was doing, Comet held the wand up high into the sky, the star crystal glowing brightly. A flash of light blinded Marco for a second and forced him to close his eyes.

Upon reopening them he saw Comet's free hand, the girl eyeing him with the same expression as before. "Up!" she said, her voice cold and harsh. Marco obeyed, standing up with her help.

"Hang on a second, I'm just gonna help Jackie up and-" as Marco turned around, the colour from his cheeks drained. Everything around them seemed grey and...

"Sweet cheese and nachos!" Marco shouted. Everything was standing still, including Jackie! He turned towards Comet, his expression that of pure panic. The girl was again holding the wand with both hands, chest-high again, and muttering something.

"Did you just freeze time!?" He exclaimed. She ignored him and kept chanting. "Stop it! Trust me, I've been in this scenario before and unless you-"

"Could maybe stop whining and shut up for 2 seconds?" Comet said with a glare, silencing him. "Great, thanks," she added and carried forth with her spell. Underneath them, a giant circle with strange runes appeared, sending shivers down Marco's spine. Comet sighed. "Hope this will hold..." she muttered.

Marco was confused, shocked, stunned and above all, was freaking out internally! What in blaze's name was going on!?

Comet turned her head around, the glare on her face apparent. "I'm only going to say this once; You either help me with this or tell me to freeze your sorry-butt in time so you don't get in my way. What'll it be?"

Marco stared at the girl in disbelief. Since when did she speak so harshly and coldly? Wasn't she sweet and nice a couple of moments ago? What was going on...?

"Help out with what? What's even happening right now, and why did you freeze time!?" Marco shouted, frustrated that she didn't answer any of his questions.

Comet's expression remained unchanged as she turned her head forward. "You'll find out in about 5 seconds..." she muttered, her back turned to him.

Before Marco could inquire any further, an unfamiliar figure leapt out of a nearby tree, landing silently and gracefully on the ground on one knee.

Marco eyed the figure's clothing as it stood up. It wore leather black and red armour with small spikes sticking out of it, more for decoration purposes than for anything else. The boots matched the outfit, being neatly crafted and pitch black. On its head, the figure wore a mask and a black hoodie, the entire face concealed, apart from the eyes.

It stood there, a fair distance away from the two.

"Don't speak, and don't move!" Comet harshly ordered him, not even bothering to turn around.

The figure extended its hand and opened its palm, causing the small metallic object, a blade of some sorts, to pop out of the crack in the pavement and hover over to its master, who tugged it into his belt.

"I must say," the figure spoke in a rich male voice, "Not everyone can simply dodge my attack, especially when I strike so swiftly and from the shadows..."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not everyone!" Comet retorted with an edge of confidence in her voice.

"It appears so; Most impressive, Butterfly, most impressive!" the man admitted, clapping his hands.

Was it a man or was it a boy? Marco couldn't really tell but he was definitely older than him. And wait, did he just say 'Butterfly'? Did he mean Star?

"Now," the man continued in a smooth voice, staring at Marco and Comet and interrupting the former's trail of thoughts, "Die."

He waved his hand through the air, throwing dozens of his small blades and sending them flying towards the two.

 _Meanwhile_

"Um, Star?" Janna asked, suddenly coming to a halt and raising her eyebrow at the princess, who shortly closed the gap between them.

"Yes?"

"I don't mean to sound weird or anything but, what is this purple thing around us?" the girl asked.

Star raised an eyebrow. "Purple thing? What purple thin-" Star said before noticing that the two were now surrounded by a purple bubble of some sorts, while everything else around them was grey. "Huh?" Star scratched the top of her head.

Janna looked up at the sky and pointed towards it with her finger. "Look!"

Star complied by looking upwards as well and widened her eyes upon seeing a flock of birds frozen in mid-air. All of the falling leaves were also suspended, not moving a single inch.

Janna then noticed a strange glow coming from Star's pocket. Star noticed it too, so she reached into her dress and took out Comet's wand, which was glowing the same colour as the colour of the bubble that surrounded them.

"I thought you said you couldn't use that thing?" Janna asked, confused.

"I can't!" Star retorted. "But somehow, it managed to freeze time around us..." the princess.

"Woah..." Janna muttered. "Now _that_ is cool!"

"We'd better find Comet and ask her what's going on," Star said, her expresision growing concerned as she remembered the last time she'd frozen time, and nearly ended up breaking it.

"Yeah, we could do that, or-" Janna put her arm around the back of Star's neck. "Better yet, we could hang out without having to worry about anything and _then_ ask her to fix it. As far as I'm concerned, time being frozen equals more time for us to do what we want!"

Star made a thoughtful gesture before grinning happily. "Can't argue with that!"

"Now we're talkin'!" Janna exclaimed and let go of Star. "So, let's 'hurry' it up, since it's only about another 10 minutes of walking,"

"Why? You worried that we're burning daylight?" Star joked and the two burst into laughter before resuming their walk.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Alright, this is where things take a dark turn. For those of you who were expecting a cheerful fanfic, I must disappoint you. Don't get me wrong, things will still remain somewhat light and will have both romance and humour, but the overall mood will definitely shift in certain chapters. Expect the next chapter to feature some rather unexpected events in both story and character development. That's all for now, see you guys next time.**

 **Expected Update: In 1-2 weeks.**


	8. Chapter 2: Playing Hooky, Final Part

**A/N: I just discovered a Ned Flanders metal band... Not even joking; It's literally 5 guys dressed as Ned Flanders and playing metal... I love the Internet.**

 **On a side note, I'm gonna try and write a short Christmas special. Not sure if it's gonna be focused around Starco since I have many fanfics that already have that topic covered. I'm thinking of making it more or less 'friendship' oriented. What would you guys like to see? I'm actually thinking of posting it as a Zootopia fanfic, since I have been wanting to do a Zootopia fanfic for awhile now!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **amythestblade: I doubt that Jackie will turn out to be Evil. But I do wonder what the show has in store for us! Some good drama, hopefully! And if not, you'll get plenty of drama right here ;). And like I said, a friend linked the Episode to me cause he knows how much I love Power Metal, especially 'Through The Fire and Flames', a true masterpiece of the genre. Idk, might check out the show.**

 **Rock Raider: Sorry, Father Time ain't gonna appear in this fic; At least, not in the same way as he did in the show.**

 **Guest Sorta: Well then... K... I don't know how to respond to that.**

 **princess: I'd like to clarify now that I'm not a man of science. I'm actually gonna drop this study and go study my true passion; Philosophy. I mean, I'm doing alright and passing most of my exams but I just don't see myself as a Chemist or a Scientist. I just regret that I looked at job opportunities when selecting my study instead of doing what I love. As for Comet's explanation, well, while mainstream science is important, I put higher values on 'what could be' instead of on 'what is' and try to look at things differently.**

 **ElleFreak: If you liked that fight scene, just wait till you read this one! Not that you haven't already since, you know, you're my BETA-reader but still...**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

 **NOTE: This chapter is meant to bring Comet to life and expand her character and also give you guys more backstory about her. I've worked really hard to create her so tell me what you think!**

 **P.S. No, I'm not dead XD! I deleted an annonymous review literally saying 'RIP jolleIQ'. Seriously, just because I don't update for 2 weeks you assume I'm dead xD!? I've been busy! BTW I will update 'Farewell' this Tuesday!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Episode 2:**

 **Playing Hooky**

 **Final Part**

 _Ugh_ _... my head..._ Marco groaned. The boy way lying on the ground. The last thing he recalled was half a dozen knives flying straight at him and Comet before exploding mid-air and sending them tumbling away.

His vision was blurry but he tried his best to look at his surroundings. He was still inside the seal Comet had placed underneath them while everything else was grey; Frozen in time.

Through the ringing in his ears, he managed to distinguish battle-sounds. Looking to the side, he spotted Comet. The girl was holding Star's wand and firing several magic projectiles at her assailant, who was having no trouble dodging them, dashing around at lightning speed; Marco had trouble keeping track of him at times. Comet, on the other hand, didn't share his struggle as the figure never fully evaded her sight.

More knives came flying in her direction, however, Comet whipped the wand through the air and created a barrier in front of herself. The daggers exploded against it on impact, inflicting no damage on her.

"Couldn't you have done that earlier?" Marco complained while getting up and dusting himself up. Comet glared at him. She then muttered something and shot three ice-spikes at her assailant, only to have him dodge each one and counterattack by throwing more daggers at her, which she easily deflected with another barrier spell.

"Most impressive, Star Butterfly!" The figure exclaimed. "I regret to inform you, however, that playtime is sadly over!" With those words, the assailant pulled out two short curved swords from behind his back and dashed towards Comet.

The princess raised the wand and fired a blast of energy at him. As soon as it reached him the assailant deflected it with one of his two blades, sending it flying to the side. Comet tried again; Same result. She then fired multiple bolts at him only to have him evade them.

"Look out!" Marco exclaimed and grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away just in time to prevent her from being cut in half by the assassin's blade. "This guy's fast!" Marco noted. "Who is he? What does he-"

"Are you seriously expecting me to explain this **_now_** of all times!?"

Marco smiled sheepishly. "Good point..."

The momentary distraction gave the man enough time to throw another one of his sharp daggers and have it impale itself into the ground between Marco and Comet. Before the two could react it exploded and sent them flying in opposite directions. Comet got the worst of the blast and tumbled several feet after hitting the ground, receiving numerous scrapes and bruises.

She tried getting back up but felt a sharp pain in her ribcage and collapsed back onto the pavement.

"Comet!" Marco shouted. He stood up and tried running over to her but suddenly felt restraints around his limbs holding him in place, yet there was nothing visible. He tried moving his joints without success. He looked at the figure and noticed its outstretched arm. The man had cast some sort of spell on Marco, keeping him in place.

Marco swallowed; He could only watch in horror and the figure slowly made his way over to Comet who was struggling to stand up, the last blow having taken a huge toll on her body. The wand was out of reach. The man finally arrived at his destination and looked down at the young princess and shook his head.

"Such a waste..." he dully commented, raising his blade and pointing the sharp tip at her neck. "Goodbye, Star Butterfly. I-"

The man was cut off when a powerful blast of purple energy hit him on the side and blasted him away, sending him flying into a tree. At that very moment, the invisible bindings which were holding Marco back broke, releasing him from their grip and thus allowing him to move freely. He looked in the direction the blast of energy had come from and spotted Cosmos, Comet's familiar. The small wolf barked once before using his little wings to fly over to Comet.

The girl looked at him and smiled. Cosmos barked anew and fetched the wand and brought it over to her. "Thanks, buddy. I owe you one," Comet said and Cosmos responded with a proud bark.

" _Héil"_ Comet said, casting a self-healing spell on herself and standing up moments later, fully healed.

"Are you alright?" Marco said fro the side as he walked over to the two.

"Oh, I'm just peachy, aside from some assassin nearly running his blade through my neck," Comet chuckled.

"Why do I have the feeling that you've been in this scenario before?" Marco awkwardly asked, not really expecting an answer.

"You'd be surprised. Anyway-" Comet put on a serious expression as her gaze wandered back to her assailant who was rubbing his head and slowly getting back up. Marco followed up on her gaze, as did Cosmos. "We still gotta deal with him!"

The figure got back onto his feet and locked his eyes onto the trio. Comet raised her wand in preparation to counter his attack while Marco took up a defensive stance, something he'd learned during his Karate training.

"Wait a minute!" the man exclaimed upon seeing Cosmos. "You're not Star Butterfly!" he added, pointing at Comet. Suddenly, the man's eyes widened as if he'd come to some sort of realisation. "You... You're not Star Butterfly! I know who you are! You're princess Comet Dragonfly, Butterfly's cousin!" he exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter who I am," Comet responded in a cold voice, "Because either way, I'm gonna kick your butt and make sure you're locked up in Rune Prison for the rest of eternity!"

There was an eerie silence. Then, the man started chuckling, which soon turned into maniacal laughter. Comet, Cosmos, and Marco stared at him, confused and frightened.

After he regained his composure, he looked at Comet and smiled, his grin being obvious even through his mask. "You really do resemble your mother..." he said, sounding almost gleeful.

Comet raised a questioning eyebrow at him and lowered her wand. "My mother?"

The man nodded. "Yes, your mother. Oh, how I remember her clearly! Her graceful posture! Her rich voice! Her unmatched confidence and charm!" he spoke in an enthusiastic and psychopathic voice which was beginning to creep the three out. He then spoke in a grim and low voice: "The look of terror on her face and her dying scream as I slit her throat..."

There was silence.

Marco couldn't believe what he'd heard. He was frozen stiff like a popsicle. Hesitantly, he looked at Comet and saw her stunned expression.

Comet's breathing became heavier and her hands began shaking. The man then took out a small knife from his pocket and twirled it in his hand before throwing it into the air and catching it close to his face. "With this... very... dagger..." he concluded before throwing it towards Comet and having it bounce several times, finally landing a few feet in front of the girl.

She stared at it before bending down and picking it up and staring at it.

"C-Comet?" Marco finally said, his voice a mixture of both concern and fear. "W-What does he mean by-"

"So," Comet spoke up, ignoring Marco, her voice emotionless. "You're the person that took my mother from me?" As she spoke, a red glow started manifesting itself around her and her grip on Star's wand tightened.

Marco swallowed. _Oh boy..._

Carefully, Marco placed a hand on Comet's shoulder and tried speaking as calmly as possible. "Comet, listen. Just calm down and-" before he could finish, however, a powerful force shoved both him and Cosmos away from Comet, making them land several feet away from her, luckily unhurt.

" **You!** " Marco heard Comet shout. Her voice was now dark and menacing, hardly even recognisable. The red glow around her was now very intense and it had spread to her eyes. Marco looked at her in terror and confusion. What was happening to her?

The ground began shaking violently. Red colours started flashing everywhere inside the magic circle as Comet's rage grew. Suddenly, the girl gripped her head with both hands and closed her eyes. " **No!** " she painfully exclaimed, a few migraines visible on her head. She fell to her knees in pain and screamed in agony.

" _Í_ _gnis!_ " the assailant exclaimed and waved his hand through the air. A strange blue glow surrounded Comet. The girl's eyes fully opened then rapidly closed as she swayed back and forth for a moment before hitting the ground face-first.

"Comet!" Marco exclaimed in panic. Was she-

"Fret not, child," the man said, gaining Marco's attention. "I merely cast a sleeping spell on her. As interesting as it may have been, I'd rather _not_ have her rip this planet it half; And besides, _she_ isn't the target..." he sheathed his swords.

Marco thought about his words and grit his teeth. "You come anywhere near Star and I'll-"

"You'll what?" the man challenged Marco, arms crossed.

The boy's expression fell. "I... I... um..."

"Precisely," the figure spoke, his voice firm and his tone mocking. "You'd sit there and watch helplessly much like you did today," he added. Marco's expression fell, realising just how powerless he was when facing such enemies.

Suddenly, a strange dizziness overcame the man and he placed a hand on his head. "Darn! I've been in this realm for too long..." he muttered, grabbing the hilt of one of his swords and swinging it through the air, thereby opening a portal. Marco's eyes narrowed; This portal looked different from the ones he normally saw. Ise seemed to be much darker and looked unstable.

The man was about to walk into it but stopped and turned his head around and looked at Marco and sighed. "Good day," he muttered and walked into the portal. The moment he was fully through, it closed.

Marco remained on the ground for a minute or two before he snapped back to reality and stood up. Cosmos was already by Comet's side, the small wolf licking her several times on the cheeks. Comet stirred awake and straightened herself with a tired groan. She opened her eyes. Her next move surprised Marco. "I can't believe I just- He got away and- **argh!** " Comet screamed in frustration and carelessly threw Star's magic wand away from herself, scaring Cosmos, before pressing her knees to her chest.

"Comet?" Marco asked, generally concerned about the girl but also frightened by her outburst Upon not receiving an answer, he hesitantly made his was over to her and sat down beside her. "I know this is a stupid question but... are you alright?"

She didn't answer. This increased Marco's worry and the fact that she looked like Star wasn't making things easier on him.

The boy cleared his throat. "Listen, I don't know what's going on but if you wanna talk about it I... um..." Marco scratched the back of his head awkwardly and sighed. "What that guy said... Is it...?"

Comet sighed and raised her head, staring off into the distance, locking her eyes onto a Frisbee which was suspended in the air due to her spell, a dog chasing after it, eager to leap from the ground and catch the plaything.

"I wasn't even 8 when it happened," Comet began. "My mother and father had just gotten back from an important meeting in a neighbouring kingdom. I was in my room playing with Cosmos when I spotted the carriage from my window so I started making my way downstairs to greet them. Then, I heard it; screaming..." she trailed off, pausing and taking a deep breath. She hugged her knees tighter. "I came downstairs and... and..." Comet's voice cracked as her eyes began filling with tears. "I saw my mom just, _lying_ there in this pool of red liquid! I didn't know what was going on or what to do! People were running around and shouting at each other and telling to go to back to my room!"

Comet was on the verge of breaking down, her voice quivering with each word. "Just like that, she was gone...".

Comet inhaled shakily, trying her best to keep her composure.

"After that, I just... broke..." she lowered the tone of her voice along with her head. "I lived only because I was alive. I didn't speak with anyone, I didn't eat, I hardly ever left my room, I even started lashing out at Cosmos even when he wasn't at fault because he kept reminding me of my mother... " Comet looked at Marco. Seeing the girl's bloodshot and tear-filled eyes made his heart ache; It pained him to see her like that.

She took a deep breath and just barely managed to regain her composure. "Before I realised it, an entire year had passed. Then, one night, I snuck up to the top of one of the castle's towers and looked over its edge and wondered: What would it feel like if I just closed my eyes and ended it all? No more sleepless nights spent crying, no more despair, no more sadness; All I had to do was close my eyes take a single step forward..."

Comet paused and looked at Marco. The boy was captivated by her tale, his expression betraying his growing curiosity and worry.

"Then I felt something bumping against my leg. I looked down and saw Cosmos looking at me with the saddest eyes" Comet lowered her gaze and put on a sad smile. "I'd neglected him for over a year yet he still cared about me so much; I think that time on the rooftop was the fight time I fully broke down and begged him to forgive me," As Comet explained, Cosmos licked her on the cheek, ensuring her that all was well. She smiled warmly.

"I was about to throw away so much and betray the people who cared about me. It's not what my mother would have wanted. She always kept telling me to be happy and live life to it's fullest while helping and protecting those around me, and serve the kingdom as a just Ruler," she looked at Marco. "I wanted to do that; I wanted to become like my mother but in order to do that, I had to become stronger. And since my mother did have a huge collection of spellbooks, tomes, scripts, etc. I asked my father to hire some tutors and teach me about the art of magic."

"Why did your mother have all of that?" Marco cut in.

"It was part of her job as Queen of Vesperia," Comet explained. "You know how it's Star's the Keeper of the Wand, right?" Marco nodded. "Well, I was next in line to take over my mother's duty as the Keeper of Order, which I did a little earlier than expected due to the circumstances. Basically, whenever something involving dark magic happens, I have to investigate and stop it. To do that, a mastery of the arcane arts it essential, therefore those books have been passed down through generations."

"Wouldn't it be more practical to have a single huge book with a magical tiny man, like Star does?" Marco inquired.

Comet shook her head. "Her book is specifically meant for _her_. The Mewman wand is already powerful enough, so all she really needs is the right words and doesn't have to understand much to cast them. It's made for practical use while the books I have are for theoretical use and understanding of the plains of magic. Understanding how something works is crucial when confronting dark or unstable magic."

"Makes sense," Marco muttered. "Anyway, you were saying...?"

"Hmm? Oh, right!" Comer cleared her throat. "My training was progressing really fast and I had no trouble grasping even advanced spells. They saw that I had a gift for the arcane arts and keeping me in the castle would only hinder me, so my father asked me if I wanted to enrol into the Grand Wizards and Sorcerers Academy. Truthfully, I wanted to stay there and keep him company since I knew that, despite seeming cheerful, he was still grieving for my mother. But it was something I simply had to do, for both my own sake and the kingdom's. And, on my 10th birthday, my father signed the papers and I was on my way to the GWSA," Comet smiled. "You can imagine how I felt."

"Excited?"

Comet chuckled. "More like scared beyond belief!" she exclaimed. "I was 10 and far away from the place I'd spent the entirety of my life in! And it didn't help that the rest of the students were several years older than me; I only got accepted because of my title and a lot of people envied me for it."

"They envied a 10-year old?" Marco asked.

Comet nodded. "Sorcerers tend to be 'competitive' if you will," she replied. "And being a prodigy didn't help with my popularity either. But luckily-" she smiled, petting Cosmos, the wolf snuggling up to her. "- Cosmos was always by my side, protecting me, keeping me company, helping me; I don't know what I'd have done without him. So, anyway, the years passed with me keeping my studies up while fulfilling my royal obligations."

"Yeesh, sounds like you had it pretty rough..." Marco commented.

Comet shrugged, "I guess it was stressful at times but it was nowhere near as hectic as it's been since my graduation. For whatever reason, the number of dark occurrences has drastically increased over the past year, so I've been busier than I ever was back then!"

"Speaking of which," Marco cut in, "That guy from before. Would you mind telling me who he was and whether he really..."

Comet frowned "I don't know who he is. Truthfully, the only reason I knew he even existed and was coming after Star was because of Cosmos." She looked at her familiar. "He can sense dark energy and warns me whenever there's something that needs attending to."

Marco raised an eyebrow at her. "Told you? How? Like, with magic or telepathy?"

"Nah, nothing like that. I've just learned to understand what he's trying to tell me." She explained. "Anyway, he sensed that something bad was on its way here, so I took a wild guess and assumed it had something to do with my cousin, given that she was staying here and did have an all-powerful wand. I didn't know what it was, though, until I noticed that guy sneaking around the day I arrived here. Fortunately, he wasn't too keen on fighting 2 magic users at once, which gave me just enough time to devise this plan and catch him." Comet sighed. "Too bad the last part didn't go as planned..." She clenched her fists. "And if he was telling the truth, then I _can't wait_ to find him again!"

"You could've told us," Marco said, frowning, "Star and I can handle ourselves well; We could've helped out!"

Comet closed her eyes and shook her head in disapproval. "That's exactly the reason I _didn't_ tell you," she stated, gaining Marco's curiosity, "Why do you think I went through all this trouble to look like her? Star may be a magic user but the things I face are on a different level than her! You saw how the fight went; Even I couldn't beat him by myself" she explained.

Marco remembered an important question he had to ask her. "Say, what happened back there?" he pointed behind him and at the giant hole her magic had left behind. "Why did I get the feeling that you weren't in control over your magic back there?"

"Because, I wasn't." Comet bluntly stated. Marco widened his eyes; he wasn't expecting such a direct answer. Comet continued: "Do you know what the fuel for magic is?"

"Batteries?" Marco more stated than asked. "I remember the time we had to get a new charger for Star's wand and-"

"Emotions." Comet cut in, interrupting the boy's rant. "When you cast a spell, you pour your thoughts and soul into it; without these two, it wouldn't even manifest, which is why it's crucial for magic users to have their emotions intact," Comet continued. ", Happiness, Anger, Sadness, Envy; Each and every emotion gives us the power to materialise spells. However, there's a catch: Have your emotions cloud your mind and you'll lose control over not only your spells but also yourself."

"I'm not following..." Marco admitted, scratching his head; he was still new to this whole 'magic' business.

Comet sighed. "I'll try to explain it simply; Have you ever felt so angry that you wanted to punch someone in the face?"

Marco was about to say no, then remembered the events from just 2 weeks ago when Shining had come to Earth to court Star. "Uh... maybe..."

"And did you manage to hold yourself back?" Comet pursued.

"Just barely..." the boy shamefully admitted, feeling guilty for his behaviour after finding out that the prince literally was nothing more than a harmless and kind soul.

"Well, imagine having that same feeling only about a million times stronger and having the power to project it into a spell," Comet said. "As you can imagine, it becomes pretty easy to give into the temptation," she added. "Luckily, I managed to stop myself back there. With my knowledge and Star's wand, I could have caused unspeakable Chaos..."

Marco nodded. The boy still wasn't sure exactly how it worked but he had a vague idea. A question popped up in his head. "What about Star? Could she lose control over her herself as well?"

"Possibly." Comet bluntly replied, "If she were exposed to enough Dark Magic or if something traumatic were to happen, then she could very well become dangerous," Comet saw Marco's worried expression and smiled softly. "Hey, that's not going to happen! Knowing my cousin, nothing could drive her to that point!"

"Yeah... you're probably right... She's an amazing and strong girl and I'm, well, me..." Marco muttered in response. Comet became worried.

"Is something else bothering you?"

Marco sighed. "I just realised today that I can't really protect her. That guy has a point, I can't use magic and I'm pretty sure that Star is physically stronger than me, which sucks, by the way. How can I protect her by being a weak human?"

"You've been doing a good job so far," Comet smiled. "Don't belittle yourself like that. My cousin needs you more than you think. And you may be human but that doesn't make you powerless or weak!"

"Well, I kinda feel like staying positive isn't going to do much if some nutjob throws exploding daggers at me..."

"OK! OK!" Comet, to Marco's surprise, chuckled. The girl reached into her pocket and took out a small book "You can have this."

"And this is...?"

"My handbook," Comet opened the said book and revealed that it was filled with runes, symbols, drawings, etc. She handed it to Marco. "The writing is in ancient Runic but I do have an appendix at the end which should help you make sense of it. I enchanted it so that it adapts to the language of the reader. Try it!"

Marco turned the book to the last few pages which were labelled 'Appendix' and was surprised to see that the various runes and symbols changed into...

"Spanish?" Marco inquired, his eyebrow raised.

Comet chuckled. "This should help you get a grasp over magic. There are lots of protective and shield spells in here and even a few dozen ward-spells, which aren't hard to cast, with some practice. I think this will prove useful to you! Only, don't tell Star about it. We magic-users are... _sensitive_ when it comes to outsiders learning our ways..."

Marco nodded and smiled. "Thanks! This is exactly what I need!"

The boy then spotted Star's wand still lying on the ground and walked over to it and picked it up. "Careless of you, wasn't it?" He smiled at Comet who shot him a playful glare.

"Say, could I potentially use this thing?" the boy asked.

Comet shrugged. "I don't see why not. Wands merely serve as amplifiers for magic, anybody can use them. Only, I'd be careful if I were you; An inexperienced magic user plus an all-powerful wand with the power to destroy the entire Universe isn't exactly the best combo..."

"I'll keep that in mind," Marco said as he handed her the wand.

With a snap of her fingers, Comet then dismissed the magic circle, thus allowing time to flow anew. The damages that were caused during the fighting were also reverted, not leaving a single trace behind. Jackie sat upright and rubbed her head. "What happened?" she asked, not remembering any of the events.

"Oh, an assassin came after me because he thought I was Star and I froze time to prevent anyone from being in danger" Comet replied as if it were nothing special.

Jackie wasn't really phased by her words and stood up. "Bad guy, huh? Well, nothing out of the ordinary, I guess," the girl bluntly stated. The school bell then rang, indicating that 2nd period was about to start. Jackie hopped onto her skateboard and rode away, waving the two goodbye.

As Marco the Comet were making their way to class, the former looked at Comet, a thought popping into his mind. "Say; If you planned all of this, wasn't it a bad idea to send Star out with Janna?"

Comet smirked and walked over to him, leaning closer and whispering something into his ear. Marco pulled away and stared at her. "You're evil, you know that?"

Comet giggled. "Maybe _a little_ bit..."

 _Later that day_

"I hate you guys..." Star flatly stated, glaring angrily at Janna and Comet. The group of friends; Marco, Star, and Janna, were gathered in front of Echo Creek Academy's gate. A dimensional rift was open behind Comet and Cosmos, the former no longer being dressed like Star but instead back in her trademark clothing. With her mission now over, it was time for her to head back.

"I still can't believe you paid her to lead me in circles for 6 hours!" Star exclaimed to Comet, then turned gaze to Janna. "And for 20$? Really, Janna? **Really?!** "

Janna shrugged. "Friendship is friendship but 20$ is 20$."

Frowning, Star looked at Comet. "Seriously, why would you do that? I even let you take my place for a whole day!"

Comet raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Um, to protect you from an assassin, maybe?" she rhetorically asked, having explained the situation to Star once the latter had returned with Janna.

Star rolled her eyes. "Whatever!" she angrily exclaimed, either not grasping the danger she was in or simply not caring enough.

"Star, that guy was dangerous," Marco stated. "I don't exactly agree with her methods but I'm glad she put you out of harm's way."

"Yes, and dragged you into it without my consent!" Star frantically replied.

"Star, there was just no other way," Comet stated. "I had to make it look convincing and I knew you'd have never gone with my idea so I did what had to be done to protect both you and him. You're my closest cousin and I just wanted to keep you safe. Plus, you have your job, and I have mine."

Star sighed and smiled softly. "I'm still mad at you but... I guess I understand. But you'd better make up for it the next time you come to visit!"

Comet returned the smile and nodded, then turned around, facing the portal.

"Well, it's certainly been eventful. I wish I could stay longer but Duty calls. I'll come and visit again as soon as I have the time. Either way, I'll keep monitoring this premises for strange magical activity in the event that that guy decides to come after you again..." Comet stated. "And I'mm be sure to settle the score with him when he does..."

"What score?" Star asked, not having been told all of the details.

Marco put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head, telling her to drop the topic. Star frowned but nodded.

"Stay safe, alright?" Comet said.

"Don't worry, I'll protect her," Marco stated.

"You'd better! After all-" Comet smirked devilishly. "What nobleman wouldn't keep his Lady safe, right?"

" **OK! BYE!** " The boy exclaimed while blushing violently, earning giggles from the three girls.

"Take care!" Comet exclaimed, waving the three 'goodbye' before disappearing into the portal with Cosmos, which closed shortly after.

"So," Janna spoke up, holding up her 20$ bill. "Anyone want smoothies? My treat!"

"It better be!" Star angrily stated, putting both hands on her hips. Marco and Janna laughed at her reaction, and the three made their way to the mall.

 _That night, Jackie Lynn Thomas' room_

Jackie was sitting behind her oak-wood desk catching up on some homework when she heard a strange noise coming from behind her. The girl turned around a saw a dimensional portal being opened. She raised an eyebrow. _I wasn't expecting anyone..._

Moments later, to her surprise, Comet walked through the portal, Cosmos not being by her side. "Good evening," the princess greeted her.

"Um, hi?" Jackie said, confused. "-comet, right? What are you doing in my room? Maro told me that you'd left earlier today and-"

"I know who you are," Comet stated, her voice frank, not allowing Jackie to finish her sentence.

"Um, excuse me?" Jackie asked, not sure what Comet meant by that.

"I know who you are..." Comet repeated. A brief silence followed, the two girls staring each other in the eyes.

"Ok... " Jackie began, "Listen, you're kinda creeping me out right now and I still have some work to do, so would you mind-"

Jackie was cut off again when Comet reached into her pocket, took out a small picture, and threw it towards Jackie. It landed on the floor at few feet in front of her. Hesitantly and with wide eyes, Jackie picked it up and locked her eyes onto it.

Jackie looked at Comet, visibly shocked. She then glared at the princess "Where did you get this!?"

"You didn't think that you could hide it forever, did you?" Comet responded.

Jackie sighed in defeat and shook her head. "So... I'm guessing you're gonna tell them now, aren't you?"

Comet shook her head. "No, I won't say a single word about it to anyone. It isn't my place to do so, however-"

Caught by surprise, Jackie raised an eyebrow at the princess. Comet continued, her tone and expression saddening. "-I will warn you; Revenge isn't a cure, it's a poison, and it will only bring you more sorrow," Comet looks to the side shamefully "Trust me, I've been there..."

Jackie made a thoughtful expression before putting on a determined one. "I'm sorry but-" Jackie stood up and walked over to Comet, handing her the picture. "I've come too far and sacrificed too much to turn back now..."

Comet sighed, nodding. The princess pocketed the picture and turned around, facing the portal and making her way back inside. Before doing so, she spoke: "Losing something that is important to us often leads us to walk the path of Revenge, and while we may gain back what we've lost, we may end up losing ourselves. Remember that..."

Jackie stared at the closing portal, the princess having gone through it and vanished. She sighed and got back to her Algebra homework, trying to get Comet's words out of her head.

 ** _End of Chapter 2_**

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Well, I did promise a darker turn! And in case you're wondering; I didn't make up the names of those spells by myself. Instead, I just used the names of ones I've come across in various fantasy books and even a few games and movies. And if you're mad about me making up some cheap plot-twist with Janna and Star: Good! That was my intention!**

 **Next time: Star and Marco decide to go on their first official date, which doesn't go exactly as Marco had hoped and leads to some new revelations. Meanwhile, our favourite demon, Tom, does some digging and discovers something significant about the Bloodmoon's magic.**

 **Expected Update: In 2 weeks!**


	9. Happy New Year!

**Not a chapter or anything, I just wanted to express my gratitude to you guys for reading my stories and wish you all a Happy New Year! The update will be tomorrow as scheduled, or on Monday. Well, Happy 2017 everybody :)!**

 **P.S. Sorry for my recent inactivity and not updating 'Farewell' as I'd promised a few weeks back (I haven't forgotten about it, no worries, I've just had lots of other things to work on ^^'!)**

 **Bye peeps, stay awesome and have an awesome year!**


	10. Chapter Between 2 and 3

**A/N: No notes this time. The reason?**

 **R.I.P. Carrie Fisher; One of the few celebrities that actually tried to make the world a bit better. You will be missed; Star Wars will never be the same without you; You are one with The Force now as is the Force now one with you.**

 **Replies to the reviews:**

 **Guest Sorta: Why would you not believe in me? Did something happen?**

 **Rock Raider: Trust me, you still know very little about the true Comet and Jackie. And yes, the idea is that Marco will try to combine his low level of magical knowledge with his martial arts to protect Star. I can spoil this much; He'll find out that he isn't able to cast spells the old fashioned way but will instead rely on his bodily movements to cast it.**

 **Guest: I know about structural mistakes, given that I do write my fanfiction stories halfheartedly but I'm not sure about spelling mistakes. I've got my default spell-checking programme set to 'British English' since I do prefer it. I also do spell words in US English when I'm lazy but it doesn't correct them for whatever reason.**

 **Princess: So you like Tom. That's a shame... I mean I like the dude too, he's awesome, but I have something 'interesting' planned for him which you probably won't like. And you're gonna have to wait for the next chapter for the date to actually start!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

 **P.S. And no, my new profile picture isn't a Satanic cross... It's from Fullmetal Alchemist you bimbo XD! (Reply to a PM; The dude has disabled responses).**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 2.5**

 **A tough question to ask!**

 _At the Diaz Household_

"OK, Marco Diaz, you can do this!" The boy said whilst staring at his own reflection, a look of determination on his face. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Star, will you on a daaaaaa-" He rapidly shook his head and took another breath. "Ok, second try. *Clears throat*: So, Star, I was thinking that you and I could do out on a da- da- da- **DA** **NG IT** **!** " The boy groaned and pulled on his hair. He looked at the mirror angrily and pointed a finger at it, his reflection pointing it back at him. "OK, listen here, buddy! You are going to do this _without_ stuttering! Got it!?"

Marco stated at his reflection for a few moment before taking another calming breath and straightening his posture. He opened his eyes and flashed a smexy smile at the mirror. "Hey, Star! Listen, I had this wild idea that you and I could go out on our first daaaaAAAA **AAARGH!** **!** " The boy shouted out of pure frustration, took off his shoe and threw it at the mirror before slumping forward and making a pitiful expression. "Why is it so hard to say!?"

At this point, Marco was ready to give up. He'd been practising how to ask her out for over two weeks yet the word 'date' simply wouldn't slip off his tongue no matter how hard he tried. He'd even tried saying it in Spanish but it didn't make a difference. He even went as far as writing a note he could hand over to Star but instead of the word 'date' there were only unintelligible lines scribbled in its place.

It really was frustrating.

"Cmon Marco! Pull yourself together!" He told his own reflection. "All you have to do is say the word 'date' in that particular sentence! It's not even a hard word! 'Date', see! And besides; Star is your best frie-" He stopped himself and took a deep breath. "Star is you friggin _girlfriend_ for crying out loud! You're even married to her! Kinda... So why can't you just bring yourself _to ask Star Butterfly out on a date_!?" He finished, panting heavily.

"Marco!" He heard his mother's voice. "Come on down! Breakfast is ready!"

The boy sighed. "Coming!" he exclaimed and quickly ran him comb through his hair, then walked out of the bathroom and headed to the dining room. Downstairs, the rest of his family was already eating; Star being too busy gobbling down her cereal, milk dripping down her chin, to even say good morning to him. Marco held back a chuckle and sat down at the table, taking the seat next to Star.

"Good morning, everyone" The boy greeted his family. His parents greeted back while Star murmured something whilst chewing her cereal.

"Star-" Marco laughed. The boy took a napkin and wiped some milk off of her chin. "You really should eat slower. You're gonna get your dress all stained if you eat like this" he told her.

Star swallowed. "Big deal" she replied, raising her wand. "I can just clean it with magic whenever I want to, or replace it altogether, so I'm not really concerned about something as silly as getting milk stains on it"

Marco shook his head; It wouldn't be Star is she wouldn't find some excuse for being messy. Although, she did have a fair point, this time.

Marco poured some cereal and milk into the bowl in front of him, picked up the spoon next to him, and began eating.

"Shoot!" Star suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it?" Marco asked.

"The bus is about to come and I forgot to pack my backpack" Star whined. Marco smirked. "I keep telling you to back it after you've finished doing your homework! Oh, wait..."

Star punched him in the shoulder and playfully stuck out her tongue. "Whatever, Mr. Stickler!" the princess exclaimed. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before standing up and excusing herself from the table and walking upstairs to pack her things before the bus arrived.

"You think she'll ever change?" Marco asked his parents while pointing at Star as the girl ascended the stairs and vanished from sight.

Mrs. Diaz shrugged. "Hard to say. Do _you_ want her to?"

"Hmm... Nope; I'm good!" Marco replied without any hesitation and took another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

"While we're on this topic" Angie grinned. "Have you finally mustered up the courage to ask her out or are you still babbling incoherent sentences to your own reflection?"

Hearing this caused Marco to choke on his cereal. He quickly reached for his glass of orange juice and drank from it, then inhaled deeply to regain his breath. The boy stared dumbfoundedly at his mother. "Y-you know about that!?" he asked in a panic.

"Oh, honey!" Angie said. "The entire town knows it by now! You've been trying to do it for the past three weeks!"

"Two!" Marco corrected his mother, holding up two fingers. "And why the heck is everyone so obsessed with me and Star! Don't they have more important things to worry about!?" A thought popped into the boy's head. "Hey; How did you even find out about me wanting to ask her out! I thought the bathroom was soundproof!"

"The walls have ears, Marco" Rafael replied resulting in a confused look from his son.

"Yeah, Marco! The walls have ears!" Marco jumped upon hearing a female voice speak up behind him and swiftly turned around only to see Janna casually sitting on a chair and eating cereal.

"Janna?!" Marco shouted at the girl, who shot him a bored look. "How in blazes name did you get in!?" He then noticed the cereal bowl. "And how long have you been here!"

Janna swallowed her cereal. "I've been sitting here for the past 15 minutes, dude. How have you not noticed this?" she asked as if it were painfully obvious, which it was, sorta.

"What are you even doing here!?" Marco demanded.

Janna shrugged. "I'm always here when I've got nothing better to do" the girl bluntly explained and turned her gaze towards Marco's mother. "Btw, Mrs. Diaz, you're out of milk," the girl said while holding up and empty milk carton.

"Thank you, dear" Angie replied, not finding the girl's presence the least bit unsettling while Mr. Diaz kept reading his newspaper. It amazed Marco how dense his parents could be at times.

"Anyway, man" Janna spoke to Marco "I don't get what the big deal is. Just ask her out and be done with it. She's not gonna say 'no'..."

Marco sighed. "Well I've been trying, and I know that, but I always choke on the last word. I don't know what to do!"

Janna made a thoughtful expression before speaking. "Yeah, I don't really care. Just stop wimping out and act like a man for once..." the girl muttered, voice sounding bored.

Marco glared at Janna as the girl continued eating 'her' cereal. "Need I remind you that I disrupted a wedding for her... _A wedding!_ Inside a castle! In another dimension!"

"Yet you can't bring yourself to ask your own girlfriend out?" Janna stated dully. "That is just sad, dude..."

Marco was about to argue further but the sound of footsteps caught his attention so he turned to the stairway and noticed Star cheerfully skipping down, backpack equipped, and humming happily. The girl's eyes widened in delight upon seeing Janna so she rushed over to the table and greeted "Janna Banana!" She said, using the girl's nickname. "What's up?"

Janna shrugged. "Meh, nothing much. Just finished eating breakfast." the girl casually replied, pointing her finger at the now empty bowl of cereal.

"How is nobody but me bothered by this?" Marco commented from the side but was ignored.

"So," Star spoke, "You gonna join us on the bus?"

Janna shook her head. "Nah. I might actually come on time if I do that. I have a reputation to keep up" she explained and stood up from the table. "So yeah. See you guys at around 3rd period. Probably..." She finished before making her way out of the house.

"There is something seriously off about that girl..." Marco commented. His eyes wandered towards the clock and then towards Star. "The bus is gonna come any minute. Let's go out and wait."

Marco took his backpack out from underneath the kitchen table (Yes, he had it there; Don't ask why) and walked into the living room while saying goodbye to his parents. Star followed him. Once they'd made it out of the house Marco felt a tugging sensation on his hoodie so he turned around and saw Star smirking at him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Marco scratched his head whilst staring at her curiously. "Forgetting something?" he repeated to which Star nodded. It took him a few moments to comprehend exactly what she'd meant by that and once his brain _had_ caught up with what she'd meant, his eyes widened which caused Star's smirk to broaden. "Oh, right..." he nervously chuckled before extending his arm and offering the girl his free hand. Shyly and with red-tinted cheeks Star took his hand into her own and stepped closer to him, all the while grinning like an idiot.

Marco shared her grin. While it still felt awkward showing their affection for one another in public, especially around his parents, which is why he liked to avoid doing it inside the house, it also filled the boy with a sense of pride knowing that he was making his girl happy with such simple gestures like holding hands of even just walking side by side. He'd already felt this was back when they were quote on quote 'just friends' but the feeling he was experiencing now some something completely different altogether. If there was a way to make her any happier, he'd go for it, no questions asked.

 _There is **one** thing you could do that would make her even happier... _His mind told him suggestively.

Taking a deep breath, Marco tightened the grip on Star's hand, causing the girl to lock her gaze with his own. While she was no longer blushing, the sweet smile was still present on her face as was her affectionate look for him.

Marco took a deep breath. This was it!

"Star, will you-" Marco's breath caught in his throat as the boy's voice cracked, earning a raised eyebrow from the princess standing in front of him. He took another deep breath. "As I was saying: Star, how about you and I go-" his voice cracked again, the last few words coming out as high pitched squeaks. Star was becoming slightly concerned.

"Marco, are you alright?" She asked her best friend, her voice filled with confusion.

"I'm fine!" Marco chirped back instantly, sounding nervous and even beginning to sweat a bit. "I j-just wanted to say that you and I should... uh..."

To his salvation, the bus arrived as he was speaking so he frantically looked at Star. "We should get on the bus before it drives off! Yeah! That's what I wanted to say! Hehe..."

"Uh-huh..." Star muttered. Honestly, she had no idea what was going on anymore but decided to shrug it off and put on her trademark smile. "Alrighty then! I call dibs on the window seat!" the energetic princess exclaimed and dragged Marco onto the bus, whose doors closed moments after as it drove off towards school. Marco kept contemplating all drive long how he would bring himself to ask the princess out. He definitely needed some advice on how to overcome his pathetic habit of choking out at the last second.

He'd normally ask Jackie for help, given that she was the one who helped hook him and Star up but she was absent from school due having caught a cold. Janna was of no use and his two guy-friends, Ferguson and Alfonzo, were unfit to help him. No, he definitely needed a girl's advice for this and StarFan13 was completely out of the question. That left Marco with only 1 real option; The only other girl he knew somewhat well and who had experience with these things...

* * *

"Excuse me!?" Brittney Wong yelled at Marco. She must have heard wrong.

"I said I needed your help with asking Star out on a date" Marco repeated himself, a look of desperation on his face.

Brittney scoffed at him. "And you want _**my**_ help?"

"I don't want it, I _need_ it!" Marco emphasised. "I choke every time I try to ask her out and I need someone that can help me do it right!"

"No way am I helping you!" Brittney said angrily, crossing her arms. "It would be a waste of my valuable time I could spend doing more important things other than helping a dork like you go out with a weirdo like that!"

The raven-haired girl turned and began walking away only to have Marco block her part and drop down to his knees, not phased by her insults, mostly because they defined Brittney for who she was. "Please!" the boy exclaimed and clapped his hands together. " I just wanna ask Star out and make her happy! Can you give any advice? Any at all! I promise not to bother you with it again!" Marco begged, literally on his knees at this point!

Brittney defeatedly sighed and shot him a look of sympathy, much to the boy's surprise. She placed the palm of her hand on her forehead and shook her head "Why do I have to have a soft-spot for pathetic wimpy dorks like you!" the girl complained somewhat angrily.

"So... you'll help me?" Marco asked with a hopeful voice.

Brittney groaned, visibly annoyed. "Yes! I'll help you ask weirdo spare-princess out, alright?"

Marco stood back up with a smile and was about to thank the cheerleader but she cut him off by grabbing him by the collar and shooting him a death-glare. "But if you tell anyone, _**anyone**_ that I helped you out, I will design a machine that will tumble you down an eternal flight of carpets and stairs so you die by broken bones and carpet burns, **got it!?** "

Marco swallowed and frantically nodded his head. "Yey ma'am!" he squeaked.

Brittney then shoved him away from herself and crossed her arms. "Also, you owe me a favour. Understand?" she stated to which Marco nodded. "Now, what exactly is the problem?" Brittney asked.

"Well, every time I try asking her out or pretend to do so, I always choke before I can properly do it. I've tried it with a mirror but even imagining her standing in front of me causes me to funk out..."

Brittney made a thoughtful expression before pointing a finger towards him. "Yep, you're a loser. But I think I know what the problem is" she stated.

Marco looked at her, amazed and confused. "W-wait; You were able to derive the entire problem from just that?"

"Hey!" Brittney retorted. "I've dated lots of guys and given lots of advice to people other than you so this isn't the first time I've heard a gutless excuse like that!"

"Tell me what it is and how I can stop it then" Marco demanded.

"It's simple, honestly" Brittney stated casually. "You're just overthinking the whole thing and making a big deal out of it when in reality, it's not."

"Uh... come again?"

Brittney groaned in annoyance. "What I'm saying is that you should stop worrying about it and just turn your brain off for a few moments and just go over to her and ask her out! Honestly, what are you even worried about?"

Marco looked away in shame. "Well, nothing. I'm not particularly 'worried' about anything. I just... I don't know..."

Brittney smacked herself on the forehead. "Why are guys always so dense..." she muttered before raising her head and spotting the Mewman princess chatting with a few classmates. Star then spotted Marco and Brittney and started heading over to them. Brittney pulled Marco closer. "Here she comes now. Just talk, don't think, and **don't** wimp out!"

Marco swallowed and nodded. Brittney released her grip on him just as Star arrived and cheerfully greeted the two. While Brittney did find her annoying due to the princess' cheerful and carefree character, she didn't really hate her. She didn't like her either but when it came to dating she was willing to make acceptions. So, to Marco's, Star's and the Universe's surprise, Brittney smiled and greeted her back.

"Hey, Star!" The raven-haired girl said. "Marco over here has something important to ask you. Right, Marco?"

This caught Marco completely off guard as did Brittney's sudden cheerful mood. He remained frozen and noticed Brittney glaring at him.

"Really?" Star asked. "Alright. What do you wanna ask me, Marco?"

Brittney backed off a few feet, giving the couple some privacy and signalling Marco speak, then making an 'or else' gesture by running her finger along her neck. Marco took a few deep breaths before locking his gaze with Star's and taking her hand into his own. The Mewman princess was dumbfounded by the sudden gesture and stared at him curiously.

"Star," Marco spoke, trying his best to keep his voice from trembling. "Listen. I've actually been meaning to ask you a very important question for the past couple of weeks..." he trailed off. Taking another deep breath to calm his nerves he looked at her seriously. "Star Butterfly, would you like to go on a daaaaaaa-" Marco's eyes widened in panic. This was not happening!

"On a what?" Star asked, her curiosity being replaced with utter confusion.

Marco cleared his throat and began sweating nervously. "On a-a... a..." the boy stuttered which caused the princess to look more confused than before. He giggled nervously.

Behind them, Brittney was boiling mad. Unable to watch the pathetic display any further she walked over to Marco and literally shoved him into Star, knocking both teens to the ground.

"Listen, you!" She shouted while glaring at Star. "This loser boyfriend of yours or whatever the heck he is, is trying to ask you out on a date!" Brittney yelled. "So, what's your answer?"

Star's eyes widened as she looked at Marco in surprise. "Wait! You've been wanting to ask me out on a date?"

Marco nodded. "Y-"

" **YES!** " Brittney shouted before Marco could utter the word himself. The girl stomped her foot and turned around "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get out of here before someone sees me hanging out with you dorks! See you later, **NOT!** " Brittney finished before storming off.

A moment of silence passed between Star and Marco, the boy still laying on top of her, when the princess smiled at him. "So, when's the date?" she happily chirped.

 _End of Chapter 2.5!_

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **I didn't actually intend to write this but the thought came to me while writing something else. The writer's paradox :P. I hope it was alright and it also hints who Brittney is going to meet in the near future (not like it isn't obvious enough). I was actually sad when Brittney didn't get any screentime in Season 2; I like her. And btw her name is spelt 'Brittney' and not 'Brittany' like I've seen some people write it as.**

 **Feel free to leave a comment or a suggestion and I will see you guys later!**

 **Expected update: In around 2 weeks!**


	11. Chapter 3, Part 1

**A/N: I'd like to really thank** _ElleFreak_ **for giving me a good idea to implement into this chapter. It also looks like (based on the names of the season 2 episodes that were released a few days back) that we won't be getting Starco at the end of Season 2. There will be drama but I doubt it will happen, sadly.**

 **P.S. This chapter was awkward as Hell to write and I doubt the rest of it will not be any easier. This is because of 2 reasons: a.) I've never actually been on a date so I have no idea what you're even supposed to do (Should be interesting to write), and b.) Still forever alone :P. So yeah, don't be too hard on me with this one. Also, I'm open to suggestions in the reviews. Tell me what you wanna see them do on the date (And I mean serious, T-or-lower rated suggestions, not something like 'Between Friends' or anything like that).**

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE: As some of you may have heard, Tumblr is hosting a 'Wholesome week'. I will be participating in it, although I'm not sure if I'll do it every day. I'll try to write at least 3-4 short fanfics and post them on my Tumblr account; I will not be posting them here, only on my Tumblr; Link on my profile, if not just look up 'jolleIQ'. Tomorrow's (Monday's) prompt is 'Cooking' and I think you'll like what I have in mind for it!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **DonDonatek: Thanks! And yes, things are about to get really dark! Only, after this little fluffy treat :P**

 **TheOneAndOnly1993: The hiatus is almost over given that there's gonna be a SVTFOE Bomb in February. But yes, major fluff ahead!**

 **Guest Sorta: I can do whatever I want mate! You have no power over me! Muahahahaha!**

 **Rock Raider: I don't really think she acted OOC. Pardon my language but I portrayed her like a stuck-up bitch, which she is. Aside from that, her character is still unexplored so I have the liberty to develop it myself the way I envisioned it to be. And how is it not obvious who she's going to meet XD?**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

 **EDIT: Thank you** _Rock Raider_ **for helping me correct an unnecessary mistake.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **First Date**

 **Part 1**

 _The Underworld, Tom's Castle_

Tom was in the alcove next to his family's library, wherein thousands upon thousands of books, scrolls, tomes, and similar were being stored. The demon was presently sitting at a desk in the alcove and reading a thick book, undoubtedly filled with information and stories about the Bloodmoon ball, with several others piled up next to him, trying to find something on the ritual's powers, without much luck.

With a tired sigh, he threw the finished book away and grabbed another one from. Just as he was about to open it, one of his demon servants, a gargoyle in a fancy black suit and wearing a red tie, walked in carrying a platter with a tea set atop of it.

"Tea, sir?" The gargoyle asked politely.

Tom put the book down and nodded before slumping into his chair and rubbing his eyes. He was tired and bored, mainly bored. He'd spent the last two weeks or so trying to find out _something_ about the whole agenda that was going on but no matter how much he read about the subject, every book contained the same information about the Bloodmoon-seal. Nowhere did it state why it was so or what the consequences of it were aside from being eternally bound to the person with whom you danced under its light.

The servant walked over to Tom and placed a cup of tea on the table.

"Thank you, Robert," Tom said and closed his eyes.

"Is everything alright, young master?"

"Huh?" Tom murmured. "Oh, yeah. I'm just tired of reading the same stuff over and over again. What's the point of having a trillion books in here if every single one of them says exactly the same thing but with different words!?"

Robert shrugged. "I do not know, sir. I am a butler, not a librarian."

Tom's eyes widened. "A librarian..." The demon slapped himself across the forehead; Why didn't he think of this?. He looked at his servant "Robert, do we happen to have a librarian employed here?"

The gargoyle nodded. "Indeed we do. Do you wish to see her, sir?"

Tom nodded. "Is she knows how to help me then I wish to see her this instant!" the demon ordered with a commanding tone.

"Very well, milord. I will try and find her, although it may take awhile to bring her here. She's a bit shy, one could say, but knows this library like the back of her right wing." The gargoyle servant bowed his head respectfully and exited the alcove to go find the said woman.

"Wing? Didn't he mean hand?" Tom muttered and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Whoever or _whatever_ this librarian was, hopefully, she would know precisely what Tom needed to aid him in his little inquiry.

 _Earth, The Diaz household, Star's room_

"Star, do I really have to do this?" Marco whined. He and Star were standing in front of the magical mirror with which the Mewman princess communicated with her parents. The boy's troubled expression was betraying his anxiousness and uneasiness; He _really_ didn't want to talk to King and Queen Butterfly about this whole agenda. Not onlydid it feel awkward but he wasn't sure how they'd react.

Star gave him a reassuring smile and wrapped her arms around his right one. "It'll be fine!"

"Do I have to?" He repeated out of desperation.

The princess sighed and looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry if this makes you feel uncomfortable, Marco, but it's customary for the suitor, you-" Star pointed a finger at Marco "-of the Mewman princess, me-" She pointed it at herself "-To be granted permission by the King and Queen of Mewni before officially being allowed to start dating," She explained.

"I know, I read that part in your constitution but..." Marco trailed off awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head. "I thought we could skip that part, considering we're... ya know..."

Star smirked devilishly at him. "Aww, you're so cute when you're trying to come up with excuses!"

"Star!" Marco exclaimed and glared at her. "What did we say about calling me 'cute'?"

Star giggled. "Sorry, I just can't help it, I-" she cut herself upon noticing the upset look on Marco's face. Star frowned and let go of Marco's arm. "I'm sorry," the princess started in an apologetic voice "I didn't know this was upsetting you so much. I'll stop-"

"I-I'm supposed to call you that, dummy..." Marco interrupted her and turned his head away. Star looked at the boy and noticed a that a blush had crept onto his cheeks.

Star's eyes widened as her own cheeks reddened. "O-oh..." She muttered and looked away, Marco's bold statement taking her off-guard. It wasn't every day that her little 'safe-kid' made such bold statements, and hearing them always raised her pulse.

A few moments of silence passed between the two, neither of the teens really knowing what to say without potentially making the conversation even more awkward. After all, they were both still young and inexperienced, plus were still getting used to the whole 'flirting' agenda. Eventually, they mustered up the courage to look each other in the eyes before bursting into laughter and smiling at each other afterwards.

"So, are we gonna call my parents or what?"

Marco nodded. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath before re-opening them and putting on a determined expression. "Alright, let's get this over with."

"Call mom and dad!" Star ordered the inanimate magical object in front of her and put on the brightest smile she could muster up. Marco took the princess' hand into his own. Surprisingly, his nervousness dwindled away. He swallowed and took a calming breath. _Here we go..._

An image of Queen Moon and King River appeared on the screen of the mirror. Both smiled and exchanged a quick look upon seeing their daughter and her lover holding hands.

"Hello, Starling. What a pleasant surprise it is to hear from you," Queen Moon greeted her daughter, seeming very pleased at the sight.

"And hello to you, Marco my boy!" King Riven exclaimed enthusiastically. "I'm absolutely thrilled that you decided to join us for once!"

Marco raised his hand and smiled shyly. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. ... Err... King and Queen Butterfly!"

"No no! No need for any formalities between us!" River said in an authoritative voice and raised a single finger into the air. "It's Moon and River to you now, boy!"

Marco chuckled and began sweating lightly. "A-alright, sure! Haha..." The boy tugged the collar oh his red hoodie, feeling a sudden dryness in his throat.

"And hopefully, mother and father in a few years, hmm?" Moon added teasingly. At this point, Marco was as red as a tomato.

Upon seeing this, Star narrowed her eyes at her mother. "Mom! What did we agree on last time? No teasing!"

Queen Moon chuckled and held a hand up to her mouth. "I'm sorry dear, I can't help hit. It's my job as his future mother-in-law to embarrass him," the queen explained.

"Indeed!" King River said and looked at Marco. "Just as it's my job as Star's father to hunt you down and throw you into a volcano if you ever wrong her!"

Marco's heart stopped for a moment as a rush of fear swept over his entire body. King River laughed aloud and waved his hand through the air. "I'm joking. I would never go **that** far!" The man said before putting on a dead-serious face and looking at Marco, who was still staring at him. "But in all seriousness, I will kill you. Anyway-" King River casually brushed it off and put on his usual, cheerful smile -while Marco tried his best not to look completely petrified- and continued "-Let's not waste time with idle chit-chat. How are you two doing? Is everything going alright?"

Star smiled and nodded. "Yep! Everything is going great!"

"Has there been any trouble there, lately?" Moon asked. While they both looked alright, Star did have a tendency of getting herself into unnecessary danger on a regular basis, which didn't even bother the queen anymore; She just wanted to make sure it was nothing too serious like the planet being in danger.

"Oh... um..." Star and Marco exchanged a quick worried glance. Moon and River raised their eyebrows at them.

"Err, nope!" Star exclaimed as casually as she could. "Well, nothing worth mentioning."

"Really?" Moon inquired. Star's attitude didn't match her words, which made the proud Queen of Mewni wonder whether the young mischevious princess was trying to hide something important from them.

"Yep!" Star replied swiftly. "Definitely no interdimensional assassin or anything like that showing up anmphhhhh-" Marco placed his hand on top of Star's lips to stop the princess from blurting out anything unnecessary. They'd decided to keep the whole 'Assassin' business quiet from her parents since Comet was already on the case and they both wanted to avoid the risk of Star being called back to Mewni for her own safety. Were that scenario to happen, however, Marco had already told his best friend and future bride that he'd accompany her to Mewni but that he'd rather avoid that particular scenario since it would mean having to skip school for who knows how long.

Marco noticed the confused looks Star's parents were shooting them and chuckled. "She's trying to say that you worry too much and that she's perfectly safe here on Earth," the boy said. Strangely enough, King and Queen Butterfly bought his little white lie and smiled.

"We're glad to hear that!" River exclaimed cheerfully.

Marco smiled and removed his hand from Star's lip. A brief silence followed and Star used it to murmur something into Marco's ear. The boy whispered something back and pointed at her parent's.

"So, I'm assuming from your behaviour that you wanted to tell us something?" Queen Moon inquired, regaining the young couple's attention.

Both teens blushed. "Well, sorta..." Star admitted coyly.

Moon and River each raised an eyebrow at each other. It was rare that Star made such a shy expression, so it peaked their interest even more.

Marco cleared his throat and spoke as calmly as he could. "We - **I** wanted to ask the two of you for, uh..." He trailed off, his brain struggling to find the right words. "It's, well..."

"Just get out with it, boy! We're not going to bite!" Queen Butterfly joked.

Marco took a deep breath. He raised his head and looked at them, determination burning in his eyes. "Alright, here goes nothing; King and Queen Butterfly, may I please take Star out on a date?"

 ***Silence***

"...That's it?" Moon said bluntly, having expected something far more shocking to come out of the boy's mouth.

"Whaddaya mean by 'that's it'?" Marco asked.

"Ehm, y-you do realise that we already promised you her hand in marriage, right?" Moon said awkwardly.

"I know but it says so in your law and we just wanted to make sure that the two of you are OK with it," the boy explained.

Moon waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, _that!_ Don't worry about formalities and try to enjoy each other's company instead!" Moon stressed. "Love isn't about following rules or formalities; You should just be spontaneous and 'go with the flow' as they say in your dimension."

"Oh, Marco can be spontaneous! Like this one time when I spontaneously set him on fire with my wand!" Star said cheerfully. Moon and River exchanged a confused look.

"Star," Marco spoke dully "I'm pretty sure that's not what she meant by spontaneous..." Marco muttered. "But either way, I was just trying to follow the rules and make sure you didn't punish Star by making her go to St.O's or something like that," He explained.

Queen Moon did not look amused. "Boy, do you really see us as two monsters who are plotting to take her away from you like that?" Marco scratched the back of his head, unsure how to answer that question. "We've already come to terms with the present situation and we're very pleased with it! It's clear that you're a good influence on our daughter so taking her away from you at this point would be nothing less than counterproductive. And besides, it's not our decision whom Star chooses, it's entirely hers."

"Didn't you try to do the exact opposite a few weeks ago?" Marco said, seeming a little annoyed now. Upon seeing Moon's dangerously narrowed eyes, however, Marco swallowed. "Um, never mind..."

"We had to, it was the law!" River opposed, acknowledging Marco's statement, to a certain extent. "We Mewmans are very strict about certain rules, such as that one, but tend to let other's slide. So to answer your initial question, of course we'll allow you to take our daughter out on a date."

"But!" Queen Butterfly cut in. "Star is to activate the tracker in her wand and keep it on throughout the entire duration of the date."

The young couple shot the elderly one curious looks. "Um, why?" The princess asked. Her parents tended to have some unusual requests from time to time but this one she could not comprehend.

"Oh, um..." Queen Moon stuttered before swiftly regaining her composure "So that we can be sure that you don't wander off anywhere!"

"Um," Marco began. "No offence but the two of us hop through dimensions on a daily basis so I really don't see the big deal about-"

"Do you want to date her or not?" Moon asked impatiently, to which Marco nodded. "Splendid, then you'll do as we say. And no need to worry, the two of us won't be stalking you or anything like that. We're just doing it out of precaution to make sure the two of you don't attempt to run away together or anything like that, as River and I did back when we were still your age," the Queen explained.

"Wait," Star said and pointed a finger at her mother. "You and dad tried running away? What for?"

"That's... A story for another day, Star," River told his daughter. "For now your mother and I have some pressing matters to attend to."

"We hope you two have a wonderful time on your date," Moon added with a smile.

"We will!" Both teens replied simultaneously with clear enthusiasm and waved Star's parents goodbye.

King and Queen Butterfly did the same before ending the call. Instead of walking away from the mirror, however, Queen Moon dialled another number and called it.

An image of Rafael and Angie Diaz appeared in the mirror. The two adults were in the kitchen and looking into what appeared to be an enchanted frying-pan "Did it work? Did they buy it?" Rafael, Marco's father, asked.

River nodded. "They did! You should be able to keep track of them with the help of the signal Star's wand will be emitting."

"Excellent!" Rafael exclaimed.

"Just be sure to get some good footage and show it to us! It's bad enough that I can't be there for my own daughter's first date but I demand to see it on that, what was it again? Tellavision!" The King exclaimed.

"It's television," Angie corrected the King. "And don't you worry!" She assured him and held up a digital camera and tapped its side a couple of times. "With this baby, you'll get to experience my son's and your daughter's first date in HD!"

"I still don't know about this..." Moon said with uncertainty in her voice. "It feels like we're invading their privacy by doing this. As much as I'd love to see it myself, it just doesn't feel right."

"I overheard Marco mention something about karaoke," Angie said, a suggestive smirk present on her face.

"Make sure to a good shot from every possible angle!" Queen Butterfly commanded, her voice booming and powerful, that of a true ruler.

 _Star's room_

"That went well!" The princess chirped.

"I'll say!" Marco affirmed, pleased with how the events had unfolded. "So, now that that's over with, where do you wanna go-" Marco was interrupted by Star as the princess placing her index finger on his lips. He looked at her in surprise and noticed her flirtatious smirk. His heart began to race.

"No no," She said playfully. "That's not how this works, Diaz."

Star removed her finger from the confused boy's lips. He blinked a couple of times.

"What exactly do you mean by that?" The boy asked.

"What I mean is that I want you to surprise me," Star explained.

Marco raised an eyebrow at her. "Surprise you?"

"Yep!" Star replied. "On Mewni, it's customary for the gentleman to plan everything by himself in advance and surprise his fair maiden."

Marco snickered upon hearing the last word and smiled before looking at Star. "Fair maiden? Seriously?"

Star narrowed her eyes and leant in dangerously close to Marco, her face mere inches away from his own and her gaze locked with his. "Art I not the fairest of all maidens, oh noble and charming Marco Diaz?" The princess said in a teasing voice, stunning Marco.

The boy quickly recuperated and smirked back while wrapping his arms around her waist. Star placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly wrapped them around his neck. The two remained thus, their gazes locked and their lips mere inches apart.

"Hmm... nope," Marco murmured, interrupting their little display of affection, although their pose remained the same. "You are anything but a fair maiden. And I couldn't be gladder."

Star shook her head. "Real smooth... Idiot..." she muttered, closed her eyes and pursed her lips outwards. Marco smirked and closed his eyes before sealing the gap between their lips, locking them into a passionate kiss and pulling Star even closer to himself. The princess appreciated the gesture and hummed in delight to let him know just how much she was enjoying this.

The two eventually ended the kiss and pulled away, both still blushing violently and staring into each other's eyes affectionately.

"So, 'Safe-kid', when exactly is this date of ours going to take place, hmm?" Star said in a low and passionate tone, her heart still beating wildly.

"I was thinking this Saturday," Marco answered.

Star smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "It's a date then."

 ** _End of Part 1!_**

* * *

 **A/N: I promised fluff and I gave you fluff. The majority of this chapter will be more or less focused around these two and will contain more sweet moments, so for those of you looking for action and drama, I'd suggest not getting your hopes up and waiting for the next chapter. That's all for now, be sure to come back in 2 weeks! Bye!**

 ***Whisper* Or, maybe sooner ;)?**

 **...**

 **Nah. 2 weeks it is!**


	12. Chapter 3, Part 2

**A/N: Not much to say. Please, enjoy this little fluffy treat!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **LordThunderGamer: Sure :)**

 **Emojiswagger123: Yeah, well, I've gotten used to it. People thought I was a teenage girl for the longest time XD!**

 **Guest Sorta: I'm sorry! I couldn't resist the temptation of teasing you guys!**

 **Rock Raider: *Note to self: Turn off autocorrect* Um, the date is gonna be on Saturday, not Friday. I have a running gag where Star keeps getting detention all the time so Friday was a bit too risky for dear old Marco. And why do you still suspect Tom? He's come to terms with it and he'll find a much more fitting 'companion' in the following chapters. Also, kinda obvious who it's gonna be.**

 **FeMorgenstern11: Aww, shucks! Thank you! Yep, things are gonna get really dark in the future! And your English is good, no worries :)! I ain't exactly Mr. Perfect either, specially in my earlier works... (Most of which I removed).**

 **ElleFreak: Yeah, I love Tom... AS A CHARACTER! YES! THAT'S IT! Anyway, I can't say what Marco's parents will do exactly but I've got a feeling my head will come up with some pretty sketchy stuff. And I'm glad the Starco scene turned out the way I wanted it to but I have 3 words that sum up my thoughts: Awkward to write...**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me, and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** ElleFreak **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **First Date**

 **Part 2**

 _Location: Tom's castle; Library_

The demon-boy found out why his gargoyle servant had said wing instead of hands, although 'talons' may have been the better choice of words. Turns out that their librarian was a young Harpy -young for her species which could live up to several centuries- with two wings in place of her hands and wearing round glasses. It did bother Tom that she wasn't wearing any actual clothing but her 'privates' and most of her body were covered in feathers, at least.

"So," Tom looked at the name tag that was pinned to one of her feathers. "Trisha, is it?"

"Y-yes... Master Tom..."

"I told you she was shy, milord," Robert, Tom's gargoyle servant, said.

"Thank you, captain obvious," Tom replied. He seemed annoyed.

"Don't worry," Rober began. "Once she gets interested in something, she'll calm down and fully focus on the task."

"Ok. You can go now, shoo!" Tom ordered. The gargoyle bowed his head and left the Alcove, leaving Tom alone with the librarian.

He looked at her. His mere gazed caused her to tense up and jump. Tom sighed. "Robert told me you know your way around the library?"

She nodded. "Yes..."

"Splendid, then I'll just get straight to the point; I'm looking for information about The Bloodmoon Ball's magic. And I'm not talking about the trivial stuff everyone knows, like the fact that it binds two souls together or something similar. I need to find out details about the actual seal and what its consequences are, plus something about a prophecy related to the Bloodmoon. Would there be anything in our library containing such information?" Tom asked.

Upon hearing this, Trisha's nervousness seemed to pass as she fell into thought. "The Bloodmoon Ball you say... Prophecy..." she murmured. After awhile she looked at Tom and spoke with a more relaxed and confident voice. "Mind me asking what exactly you wish to find out?"

"You've heard about the recent events on Mewni, right?" Tom asked.

"You mean about Princess Star Butterfly's hand being promised to an Earthling?" Trisha inquired and Tom nodded. "Yes, I've heard of it. The noble's of Mewni didn't like it when they found out, nor did many ruling families."

"They'll come around," Tom shrugged. "Anyway, you may not know this but she and he were both bound under the Bloodmoon's light prior to the whole thing."

"Aww, how romantic!" Trisha exclaimed in pure delight.

Tom rolled his eyes. "Whatever! Bottom line is that I owe that Earthling a favour and I need to get some information about the Bloodmoon. Do we have anything in our library that could help me, because I've read over 21 books and still haven't found out anything new or useful!"

Trisha shook her head. "No. We don't have anything like that in the library but I do know of a book that contains various secret and even forbidden information about all sorts of magical and non-magical things. It's called the _Codex Ex Inferis_."

"Alright. And where exactly is it if it's not here?" Tom asked, slowly becoming impatient.

"I believe it's in the Chamber of Forbidden Artefacts, which is located in the lowest section of the Castle."

"Alright," Tom spoke in an authoritative voice. "Take me to it; If that thing potentially contains some vital information, then I wanna see it!"

The Harpy bowed her head respectfully. "As you wish, master Tom."

 _Earth, Diaz Household, Saturday night_

"Is everything alright, my boy? You seem anxious." Said Rafael Diaz to his son, Marco. The boy was in the living room, sitting on the sofa, dressed in a red tuxedo -one Star had given him the day prior to their date- with black trousers and a black tie. He was holding a neatly wrapped box on his lap. He kept tapping his fingers repetitively on the box and taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. In just a few minutes, Star Butterfly, princess of Mewnie, Marco's best friend _and_ girlfriend would come down the stairs and the two would head out on their first date.

"I'm fine, dad," He absentmindedly told his father. "Just... a little nervous, is all..." Marco added and took a deep breath.

He heard the door upstairs close and looked at the stairs only to see his mother walking down with a smile on her face, which grew even wider upon seeing her soon so neatly dressed. "Marco, you look absolutely charming."

"You think so?" Marco eyed his tuxedo sceptically. "I'm not really sure about this whole 'tuxedo' thing..." he commented and looked at his mother. "Star told me it's customary to dress formally but... I don't know..."

Angie chuckled. "Well, Star's parents will be pleased when they see-" The woman widened her eyes upon hearing her own words and swiftly corrected herself. "I-I mean, _would_ be happy _if_ they saw you respecting their customs and traditions!"

Marco raised an eyebrow at her. He shrugged it off; His parents were weird at times, so it was best not to pursue the issue. "Speaking of Star..." Marco trailed off.

Angie smiled. "She's almost ready."

Marco frowned. "It's been two hours! I put this tuxedo on and got ready in under 3 minutes!"

His mother chuckled. "Well, you're a man, and she's a woman. There's a difference!"

"Yeah; One hour and fifty-seven minutes... _and counting!_ " Marco murmured. "It's the same when you and dad go out. He's ready in under 5 minutes while you spend 3 hours in the bathroom getting ready and for what? There's really no point..."

Angie crossed her arms and smirked. "You'll see why it takes so long for a woman to get ready, Marco. And I think your opinion will change drastically once Star comes down those stairs." She went over to Rafael and wrapped her arms around his right one. "I know your father's did when we first started dating!"

Rafael chuckled and kissed his wife on the forehead. "Son, women are and always will be a mystery. But when they're right, they're right! Just be patient and get used to it."

Marco sighed and smiled, then shook his head playfully. He still remembered how gorgeous Star looked when she went to the Bloodmoon Ball. If she was going to look even half as pretty as she did back then... A blush crept onto Marco's face at the mere thought of a girl actually taking her time to dress up for

A blush crept onto Marco's face at the mere thought of a girl actually taking the time to dress up for _him_. Yep, Star was doing her best to look pretty for _him_ , and nobody else.

All of this caused his worries to increase. Would she even like the date he'd planned out for the two of them? Sure, Jackie had assured him that she would but...

 _Queue Flashback_

"What am I gonna do..." Marco Diaz muttered to nobody in particular as he sat outside on the school's fountain and watched the other students pass him by as they left for their homes, the final bell having rung a few hours ago for Marco and Star and signalling the beginning of the weekend for them. Other students were also exiting their classrooms, the weeking having arrived for them aswell.

Marco was alone. Star had managed to get herself detention, _again_. But this wasn't what was troubling him. It was Friday, meaning that tomorrow was Saturday, meaning that the date he'd promised Star was also tomorrow. Great, right? Wrong!

Star was expecting Marco to surprise her but he was completely clueless about what exactly that 'surprise' was supposed to be. _Seriously, what exactly did she mean by that?_

How does one surprise a magical princess from another dimension? Especially one that has a complete grasp over - One that can cast spells.

Well, he'd already made the arrangements and the plan for the date was pretty much set and done but, the more he pondered about it the less he liked his own idea. Was it going to be enough? Was Star going to have a good time? Would she even be surprised?

Marco let out a loud groan of frustration.

"Marco?" He heard a familiar voice. The boy looked up and noticed that Jackie was eying him curiously and taking off her helmet, skateboard in hand. "Why are you sitting here, alone? Did Star get detention again?"

Marco nodded.

Jackie sat down next to him. "So, I'm guessing that a.) you're here waiting for her, b.) something's bothering you or c.) both."

"C" Marco dully responded. "I'm supposed to take Star out on a date tomorrow but..." he trailed off.

"Let me guess. You can't come up with anything, am I right?"

To Jackie's surprise, Marco shook his head. "Nope. Actually, I've already got everything set up."

"Oh?"

"You wanna know what I planned for Star and me?" He asked halfheartedly. Jackie nodded.

Marco leant closer to her and whispered his little scheme into her ear. Jackie's eyes widened as she listened to the boy's words and looked at him in disbelief once he pulled away and sighed deeply. "I've already arranged the whole thing but... I'm not sure whether I should-"

"Not sure!?" Jackie asked with a delighted smile. "Marco, what you've planned is so sweet! And corny!"

"I know! And that's why I hate it so much!" Marco exclaimed, angry at himself. Jackie eyed him worriedly. "Just a few weeks ago _I_ was the one telling _her_ she wasn't the type for those kinds of dates and now I'm considering taking her out on one exactly like that!"

"Well, if you're not sure about it then why not just hang out like you usually do?" Jackie asked. "Wouldn't that be a simple solution?"

Marco remained silent and sighed. "I wanted to, at first..." He trailed off. "But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do the exact opposite!"

"Why?" Jackie asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I..." Marco muttered. "You said it yourself; Star and I always hang out and have lots of fun, enjoy each other's company; I just want our dates, specially our first one, to be... _something special_... and different form just hanging out..."

Jackie couldn't help but chuckle. She placed a hand on his back, grabbing his attention. "Marco, you wanna know the simple solution to this problem of yours?" Marco remained silent and stared at her. Jackie took that as her queue to continue. "You keep overthinking things and worrying about nothing. Just relax, will ya?"

"Worrying about nothing? Relax?" Marco said, straightening his back. "Jackie, this is gonna be mine and Star's first date! Of course, I'm worried! What if I mess up and she doesn't have a good time? What then?"

"Well-"

"She even specified that she wanted me to surprise her! How could I just brush that off?" He cut her off.

Jackie sighed, finally realising what the dilemma was. "Why do guys have to be so dense..." she murmured. "Marco, what exactly did you understand under the term 'surprise'?"

"I dunno..." Marco admitted. "Something grand and mesmerising that she'll never forget?"

Jackie looked at him dully and blinked a couple of times. "Alright. Does Star seem like kind of girl who'd expect something 'grand and mesmerising' from you?"

"Um... No...?"

"Wow! Maybe there _is_ still hope for you..." Jackie said. "Marco, I'll let you in on something; When a girl says she wants a 'surprise' that usually means she just wants you to do something for her you normally wouldn't do, no matter how small the gesture is." She looked at him sternly. "I seriously don't know what you guys see us as..."

"Hey!" Marco exclaimed. "It's not our fault you girls can't just be direct and speak in riddles instead! Plus you're hard to read!" He argued.

"That, _or_ you just keep misinterpreting our words? Anyway..." Jackie trailed off. She fell silent for a few moments. "Stop pressuring yourself. Just do what you think is right-" Jackie suddenly stopped and looked at the ground wistfully. Marco raised an eyebrow at her.

"Um, is something wrong?"

Jackie shook her head rapidly and continued as casually as she could. "No, no. It's... it's nothing."

"Really?" Marco inquired sceptically.

"Really," Jackie said flatly. "Listen, here's my advice to you: Just act a bit more impulsive and don't worry about the consequences of your actions and focus on having a good time, instead. Don't make a big deal out of it and everything will be alright, you'll see. And even if things do go wrong, Star's not the type of girl who'll hold it against you. She'll probably just tease you about it for the next few... years..."

Marco remained silent and thought. Jackie was probably right; Star was Star. She and he had had several arguments in the past but at the end of each one, their bond had only grown stronger. And even if his surprise wouldn't fulfil her expectations, she was certainly going to give him a second chance, at the very least. Who knows? Maybe she truly wasn't expecting anything extraordinary, like Jackie was suggesting. And who could understand a girl's motives better than a girl?

Marco (miraculously) decided to listen to Jackie's reasoning and nodded. "Alright. Alright. I guess panicking isn't going to accomplish anything. I'll just go through with it and hope she'll like it..."

"She will," Jackie reassured him.

"I sure hope so..." Marco murmured. He looked at his watch and stood up. "Well, I'd better go and pick Star up from detention. I'll see you later, alright?"

Jackie gave him a thumbs up. "Good luck, dude!"

Marco smiled and waved her goodbye. Once he was out of sight, Jackie sighed.

 _Do what you think is right?_ Jackie hugged her knees and chuckled grimly. _I can't believe **I'm** the one telling him that..._

 _End Flashback_

Marco was snapped back to reality when he heard the door upstairs close for a second time. Angie and Rafael smiled and the former turned to Marco. "Sounds like she's ready."

Marco swallowed as the footsteps drew closer and closer. Then, he saw her walking down the flight of stairs. Time stopped. His breath was caught in his throat. His eyes widened and followed her every footstep.

There she was, Star Butterfly, more beautiful than ever.

She wore a simple yet elegant red floor-length dress, black around the waist and shoulderless with black flowers woven into the skirt. Not only did it match his attire but it gave her a provocative yet charming appearance. He also noticed that she was a few inches taller than usual, meaning that her dress was probably concealing a pair of high heels. He was surprised that she even knew how to walk in those! _Must have been part of her royal training_ , he concluded.

Before his mind could wander off any further, he looked away from her dress and at her head, only to have his eyes widen and his mouth part open in awe as he sharply inhaled.

Star's hair was cut shorter than usual, managing to reach just around half the length of her back. It was slightly curled and completed by a waterfall braid which gave her an enchanting look. Her hairband was absent and she wore no makeup, none that Marco could see, apart from a layer of lipstick on her mouth.

All in all, it took Marco a small eternity to take all of her in and he was snapped out of his trance only when Star was standing right in front of him and grinning seductively.

"See something you like?" Star said, her voice sweet and teasing, a blush on her face.

It took Marco's brain a few moments to catch up and think of a response. "Y-yeah... You look... _pulchritudinous..."_

Star raised her eyebrow and chuckled. "What?"

"It means..." He subconsciously placed his hand on her cheek and gently swept a loose lock of hair away to get an even better look at her cherry-tinded face. "I... You look... You're beautiful, Star..."

Star placed her hand atop of his and smiled. "Thanks. And don't worry; I see something I like, too..." She ran her free hand down the length of his arm and the side of his suit. "I have to admit, you look good in a suit!"

"Thanks." Marco smiled. "So," he began and rubbed her cheek lightly with his thumb. "This is why you had me waiting down here for over two hours..."

"Was it worth the wait?" Star took a step closer to him and locked her gaze with his own.

"Definitely..." Marco murmured and began leaning in while drawing her closer, eyes half-lidded. Star mimicked his expression and didn't rebel as he drew her face closer and closer to his own. Soon their lips were mere inches apart. The two were locked in a blissful trance and nothing could ruin this magical moment-

 ***cough* *cough***

The young couple's eyes flung open as they remembered the two other people in the room, Marco's parents, who were smiling at them suggestively and suppressing laughs. Angie, in particular, had a rather devilish smirk on her face and her arms crossed.

To say the least, Star and Marco's faces were about as red as a pair of ripe tomatoes and the two practically jumped apart from each other in a fit of panic. Angie and Rafael laughed, the couple's adorably shy attitude reminding them of their own youthful years.

"Well, looks like I was right, after all, Marco. Huh?" His mother said with an edge of confidence in her voice and chuckled.

Star raised an eyebrow at Marco. "Right? About what?"

"Ehh... Nothing important," He said and took her hand into his own and gripped it firmly, and was rewarded with another heartwarming smile by the princess.

The two then noticed a bright flash of light and knew it could only mean one thing...

"Mom! Dad!" Marco groaned and pointed at the digital camera Mrs. Diaz was holding. "Why do you have to take pictures? It's not like we're going to the prom or anything like that!"

Angie and Rafael both chuckled. "We know! We thought you both looked so cute just now, and it's your first date, which counts as a special occasion in our book!" Rafael stated.

Marco sighed and shook his head. He couldn't help it as a smile crept onto his face. "Alright, I guess taking a few pictures wouldn't hurt. I mean, it's not like the two of you will be stalking us all night with a camera and recording out date, then showing it to Star's parents, or anything like that!" Marco laughed, as did Star.

His parents exchanged a worried glance before laughing nervously. "Of course we won't! I don't know where you get these crazy ideas from! Hehe..." Rafael exclaimed.

After a short photo session -and by short I mean almost an hour long- Star and Marco managed to pry themselves out of the clutches of the boy's parents and escape through the front door, finally ready to begin their date.

Once they were outside of the house, Star wrapped herself around Marco's right arm possessively and nestled her head into his shoulder, thinking that they were going to walk to their destination in such a fashion. What she didn't expect, however, was Marco freeing himself from her grip, walking behind her, and tying a blindfold over her eyes.

"Marco...? What are you doing?" She questioned.

"Turning this a blind date, hehe." ***Best joke of 2017, ladies and gentlemen***

The boy made sure the knot would hold and spun her around, then gently grabbed one of her free hands.

"Marco, I'm going to ask you again. What is all of this? And why am I wearing a blindfold?" The princess inquired.

Instead of answering her question, Marco gave her a quick peck on the lips and smirked. "Gosh, you're an impatient girl, aren't you?" He chuckled. "Just hold onto my hand and let me guide you, alright?"

"Guide me where?"

"It's a surprise. Cmon, we've got quite the walk ahead of us and the night isn't getting any younger."

Before Star could protest, Marco wrapped an arm around her waist and began gently pushing her forward. While it did bother her that she had no idea what was going on anymore, she was also curious to know what precisely her boyfriend's intentions were, and it was rather exciting being left in the dark like this, figuratively speaking.

She smiled and decided to go along with it, and resumed her previous pose by wrapping her arms around his. She trusted Marco to guide her and if he'd gone through all the trouble of doing this, then she had a feeling that tonight was going to be awesome.

 _End of Part 2!_

* * *

 **A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed this one. Feel free to leave a comment and suggestions for the date, otherwise, I'm just gonna 'wing it' like I normally do.**

 **Till next time!**

 **Expected update: 2 weeks from today (Probably; Exam Period** -_- **)**


	13. Chapter 3, Part 3

**A/N: I've seen some people in the community flame the M rated stuff (fics and picks) and wanted to clear something out. Personally, I'm the kinda guy that, while doesn't actively read or search for stuff like that, has nothing against it under the condition that it has warning labels and justifies the events by showing character interactions, emotions, as well as mutual consent. I know of the infamous 'Between Friends' comic (check it out at your own risk; it is, as far as I know, NSFW) by Areablog and it is a good example of the above. I do, however, disapprove of works that portray harems (I'm heavily against that stuff), rape (DO NOT _EVER_ DO IT!), homosexuality (I don't discriminate those people but I do find it unnatural), abusive relationship stuff (Also just plain wrong), etc.**

 **I'm saying this now because it's no secret that I've begun posting a secondary fanfic which will, eventually, feature such scenes and change to an M rating. This is because I seek to find the limits of my writing capabilities and 'exit my comfort zone' and I don't want people who are against this stuff to suddenly think of me as some pervert or something. Rest assured, I'm not, and nothing like that will appear in this fanfic. 'Those things' are a part of the Human nature and we all (eventually) have to accept that.**

 **Now, onto the story!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **LordThunderGamer: I believe you have me confused with another author?**

 **RedHood001: Idk.**

 **TheOneAndOnly1993: Yes! This chapter is a fluffy treat for all you Starco shippers ^.^!**

 **Rock Raider: You're assuming too soon. She and Tom will end up with someone, however :P. Let's just say that Tom's new 'lover' will, hopefully, leave you guys laughing XD. I kinda feel sorry for him XD...**

 **Guest Sorta: Alright, I wrote a fanfic where Star committed suicide. I wrote one where she went insane and chopped off Marco's leg. Heck, I'm even working on one that's so messed up I'm gonna have to rate it M and put a dozen trigger-warnings into it! But ruining their first date by sending assassins after them? That's just messed up. I can promise you that this date is going to be pure Starco fluff. What happens after this chapter, however, will probably leave you guys hating my guts.**

 **Dualingthedice6: I prefer slow story and character progression, which I find most fanfics lack, so thank you for your words of praise! And to answer the rest of your questions: The reason I give subtle and little hints is because I truly want you guys to be shocked when they finally come together and form a bigger picture. The date _will_ have a twist, I warn you! And I have plans for those characters to appear, don't worry! Just be patient and trust me :)!**

 **FeMorgenstern11: Oh, you will, no worries :)**

 **Devontae Daniel: I'm assuming that you mean Elizabeth (Starco child) and Jam (Jarco child) by Moringmark, right? Pardon my wording but I find it pathetic how authors can't come up with anything original and just add the two into their stories. I like the concept Moringmark came up with but I hate what the community has done with it. I have my standards and adding those two would lower them severely. Also, Eclipsa will not be appearing in this fic. This plot was crafted out before season 2 even started airing and I'm not gonna change anything just to make it 'more canon'. This is MY Universe and I'll do with it as I please.**

 **Guest: Usually, yes. But I designed Comet before I even found out that it's Star's gender-bent name. I designed her as Star's female cousin and I find the name 'Comet' to be more feminine than masculine. I just can't see a guy being named Comet...**

 **Connor Filbert: F*ck you xD. But in all honesty (I know what you mean :P) The real action starts after this fluffy treat!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **First Date**

 **Part 3**

 _The Underworld, Tom's Castle, Lower levels_

The hallways were dark and unusually damp, something which Tom hadn't really dealt with in the Underworld before; Normally, everything was hot and dry. Tom was following Trisha, their Harpy librarian, who was currently leading him to _The Chamber of Forbidden Artefacts,_ allegedly located somewhere in these halls. Supposedly, it contained the _Codex Ex Inferis,_ a dark book which, as Trisha had told him, may contain some useful information on the Bloodmoon Ball, Seal and general magical powers.

"So," Tom spoke, trying to strike up a conversation with the rather shy Trisha, "How long have you been employed here? I don't remember seeing you... ever..."

"Oh, not that long; Only around 244 years, 54 days, 3 hours, 11 minutes and 34 seconds. But who's counting, right?"

"That's... a pretty long time..." Tom commented.

Trisha smiled. "We harpies have long lifespans, master Tom."

"I get that but," He stopped in his tracks, as did Trisha. She turned to face him, growing nervous. "Why is it that I haven't seen or heard of you before?"

She looked away. Tom could tell that she was feeling nervous and uncomfortable. "I... Tend to just hang out in the library, mostly, and read books. I don't come out very often."

"Then you must be well educated in many subjects, I assume," Tom commented.

Trisha nodded. "I don't like bragging but I do have an excellent memory. Anything I read stays in here," she tapped her head with one of her talons.

Tom made a thoughtful expression. "This is gonna sound weird but, have you ever read anything about a lizard named Toffee?"

Trisha placed one talon under her chin and narrowed her eyes. "Toffee... Hmm..." She thought long and hard before looking at Tom and answering. "Not much is written about him but, I believe he was mentioned in one of Mewman history books, which has since been returned to the Mewman capital."

Tom nodded. "Well, do you remember anything important about him?"

Trisha shook her head. "I'm sorry, master Tom, but I don't. I didn't get a chance to read the whole book, only a portion of it." She made another thoughtful expression. "If I'm not mistaken, it said something about him being an Ambassador or something like that..."

"Ambassador?"

Trisha nodded. "I only got to the beginning of their recent history but, like I already said, the book had to be returned so that's the only distinct thing I read about him. I'm sorry..."

Tom sighed. "No need to apologise. But why did you have to return that book to Mewni?"

"Oh, it wasn't just that book. Shortly after you were spawned into this world, Queen Moon Butterfly ordered that 'every book containing the events of the last 16 years be returned to Mewni'. It was a really weird order, almost as if she was trying to hide something..."

Tom rubbed his chin. "Yeah, it almost seems that way, doesn't it..." he shook his head. "But enough of this now. Let's get to the chamber so I can get that book into my hands."

 _Earth_

"Marco, how much further is it?" Star whined. She and Marco had been walking for quite some time now and the princess was slowly growing impatient.

"Aren't you enjoying our walk?"

"I'd be enjoying it more it I could see..."

Marco chuckled. "OK, OK. I guess it's alright to take this off now." He untied her blindfold and let if fall to the ground. Star rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them.

*gasp* Star placed a hand across her mouth and widened her eyes. Marco smirked at her reaction.

The setting was quite cliché. A lone table seated next to the Park's lake and underneath a free, with a lit candle in the middle and two chairs on either side of it.

Star clasped her hands, and said, "Marco, it looks so sweet! And corny!"

"So I've been told..." Marco murmured, remembering Jackie's words, and waved his hand towards the table, then said, "After you, _mademoiselle_."

Star glared at him and crossed her arms.

"What did you just call me?"

Marco chuckled. "It's just a fancy French word, Star," He explained.

Star raised an eyebrow at him, and asked, "Um, what's French?"

"*sigh* I'll explain it to you some other time." Marco took Star's hand into his own and ushered her over to the table. He pulled out one of the two chairs and gestured her to sit down. Star did so, with a smile. Marco sat down at the opposite side of the table and whistled twice.

Star spotted a familiar figure approaching them.

"Hello, children. What good night it be for dating, no?" It told them in a familiar Russian accent.

"Buff Frog?" Star questioned, then added, "What are you doing here? I thought my parents had given you and your kids a place to stay in the castle."

"Little boyfriend asked me for favour," He explained.

"Ok but... Where are your kids?"Star inquired.

Buff Frog waved his hand dismissively. "They are in good hands."

 _Meanwhile_

Janna was frantically scouring through Buff Frog's instruction manual while the tadpoles kept running ramped across her room and letting out tiny croaks.

" **HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE THINGS CALM DOWN!?** "

 _At the park_

"I am not even going to ask..." Star muttered.

"Anyway, Ivgeny over here was kind enough to help me out. In exchange for some _sweetcorn,_ that is."

"Marco Diaz!" Star gasped. Marco raised an eyebrow at her. "It isn't polite to swear!"

"Huh?"

"It was, indeed, most rude of you!" Buff Frog commented. Marco whipped his head back and forth in confusion before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Moving on," he said, smiled, then continued, "I asked him to keep an eye out and make sure that nobody disturbs us. Oh, and do some catering..."

Star stiffened a laugh. "Marco, I appreciate the effort you're putting into this date but I doubt that many people come to the park at this hour. I mean, seriously, what are you expecting? That somebody's gonna be spying on us from the bushes?"

As if on queue, a nearby bush rustled slightly and whispering voices could be heard. Fortunately, neither Star nor Marco noticed this. Buff Frog shrugged it off as well.

Marco hesitated before replying, "Well, no. I just want us to have some, erm, 'privacy'," he scratched the back of his head, and added, "Also, I don't want anything to ruin the mood..."

Buff Frog, upon hearing those words, whispered something into Marco's ear. The boy nodded and Buff Frog dismissed himself. "He'll be right back," Marco said.

Star smiled. While she wasn't a big fan of such romantic and corny displays of affection, she had to admit to herself that, with Marco, it felt so right. Her stomach grumbled and she giggled while blushing. "Sorry," she spoke, "I sorta skipped lunch today since I was getting my hair cut and... other stuff..."

"Well then, you're in luck!" Marco exclaimed and smirked at her, "Because I just happened to have prepared a plate of Marco Diaz' World famous Nachos!"

Buff Frog momentarily returned and placed the plate on the table before walking off.

Star narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Nachos, _how romantic!_ "

Marco noticed the sarcasm in her voice. He shrugged and mimicked her expression. "Only the finest for my princess," was his clever response, followed by a wink.

Star shook her head playfully and helped herself to the first nacho. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow!" She exclaimed in delight, "This is even tastier than usual!"

"Told ya," Marco replied before helping himself to one of the triangular pieces of food. Even he was surprised by how delicious they were.

The two shared a companionable silence while they ate. Star then looked at the lake and noticed the Moon's reflection in the crystal clear water. She looked up at the sky and noticed not a single cloud. She felt a gust of wind gently blow and carry a few leaves across the sky. Star closed her eyes and sighed as she felt the wind play with her hair. Marco smiled; it filled his heart with joy seeing how content she looked right now. It also helped calm him down. Even though he didn't show it, he was quite nervous.

 _"Tell her she looks nice!"_

 _"Shh!"_

Marco heard two voices whisper and whipped his head around to find their source but failed to do so.

"Huh... that was weird..." He muttered.

Star looked at him curiously and asked, "What's weird?"

"Oh, nothing," He assured her and shrugged it off, then added, "Probably just my imagination."

"Feeling a little nervous?" Star said teasingly and smirked at him.

"I'm just surprised you decided to cut your hair shorter," He explained.

Star smiled.

"I've always wondered how I'd look with this haircut and I figured today would be the perfect opportunity to try it!" Star explained, then added, "Also, I wanted you to be the first to see it. Aside from your mom, who helped me with it, that is... and your dad, who was waiting for me downstairs along with you and- I'm overexplaining things, aren't I?" The princess finished dully.

Marco chuckled. "Looks like I'm not the only one who's nervous, hehe."

Star puckered her lips. "Only a little!"

She stared at him angrily before the two burst into a sudden laughter. They smiled at each other once they'd calmed down.

Star resumed eating the remainder of the nachos.

"Um, Star," Marco said awkwardly.

"Hmm?" The princess looked at him curiously without interrupting her feast.

"You've got a little something..." Marco said and pointed at his right cheek in an attempt to tell her she had nacho cheese on her face. Star shrugged and continued eating.

Marco sighed, stood up, and walked over to her. He took out a napkin from his pocket and placed his free hand on her cheek and turned her face towards him and wiped her face clean with the napkin.

"There! That's... better..." He murmured. Marco noticed how close their faces were and how gorgeous Star looked from up close. Her hearts were glowing ever so slightly and were surrounded by a blush. Her lips looked so tantalising and soon Marco got lost in her eyes. He threw the napkin onto the ground and cupped her face with both hands before closing his eyes and locking his lips with hers.

The two teens both hummed in delight.

The rest of the World didn't exist for them. They were in heaven. Together.

How long did the kiss last? Neither knew how to answer that question but, in all honestly, they didn't care. However, it did feel like a small, blissful Eternity once it ended.

Their faces remained close and their gazes locked.

Marco smiled and licked his lips.

"Mmm... You know, cheery flavoured lipstick and nacho cheese don't really mix as well as you'd expect them to," Marco said, his voice low and filled with passion.

Star smirked, and said, "Then, how come you want seconds?"

"That obvious?"

Star nodded in response before closing her eyes and kissing him once more.

The two ended their intimate embrace and slowly opened their eyes. Star giggled, then spoke, "You've gotten better at kissing!"

"D-Don't say stuff like that!" Marco exclaimed, his blush intensifying.

Star giggled. "You're so easy to tease, Marco!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

" **Am not!** "

"Are-" Star was cut off by a surprise attack initiated by Marco, who kissed her again and quickly pulled away. Star blinked several times in bewilderment.

" _Am not!_ " Marco finished and smirked.

Star stared at him wide-eyed before smiling. "Ok, Ok..."

Satisfied with his victory, Marco walked back to his side of the small table and sat down. He was still blushing madly but so was Star, who was twirling one of her golden locks with her finger while grinning like an idiot.

 _So far, so good!_ Marco mentally congratulated himself. _Now I just gotta wait for the signal and commence phase two!_

Suddenly, he noticed a lens flare in a nearby bush, which vanished just as soon as it had appeared. Marco raised a suspicious eyebrow.

 _Meanwhile, in the Bushes_

Mr. and Mrs. quickly ducked and tucked the camera away.

"I told you to be careful!" Angie hissed.

"Hey! It's not as easy as t looks!" Rafael argued.

Angie rolled her eyes, and spoke, "Whatever! Did you get a good shot!"

Rafael smiled proudly and nodded. "I did! A good 5 minutes and 34 seconds of 'action'!"

Angie bore a look of pride on her face. "That's our boy! I knew he had the Diaz trait in him!"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Fluffy enough? I tried my best to balance out their Characters yet make them act like two love-struck buffoons (Meant in a positive way). Also, yes, Marco's parents are creeps XD!**

 **Please, tell me your thoughts on this one!**

 **Expected Update: In 2 weeks!**


	14. Chapter 3, Final Part

**A/N: Dear guy who sent me a PM with spoilers to every Episode I had yet to watch at the time.** **Thank you for taking your time to write that sincere message. I appreciate it and grateful from the bottom of my heart.**

 **Go to Hell.**

 **Love,**

 **-jolleIQ**

* * *

 **IMPORTANT! Here's the conclusion to this Chapter! Also, I've been working on something special ( _ElleFreak_ knows what it is since I showed it to her already) and you should check out my Tumblr or my DeviantART, because I've posted it there!**

 **IMPORTANT UPDATE: The links, apparently, weren't on my profile (gg ) but since I have no respect for the admins I'm gonna post them here. Suck it!**

 ***h*t*t*p*:*/*/*jo*lleiq*.*deviantart.c*om*/ (Delete the *)**

 ***h*t*t*p*:*/*/*jo*lleiq*.*tumblr.c*om*/** **(Delete the *)**

 **Oh, and a quick opinion on the 'Just Friends' Episode. I'm so happy that Star actually fucking lost it at the end XD! Drama, baby! The Episode definitely had the desired effect on the audience, so gj, Nefcy! My only real complaints? I didn't like the music (That band is the manifestation of every boy band in the history of ever, which I can't really stand. I still have nightmares of the time I 'accompanied' some friends to a similar concert... And autotune? Seriously?Learn to sing, instead...) and Jackie's ear piercings were ugly AF. Why so many?**

 **Also, have faith, fellow Starco Shippers! The battle may be lost but the War is not over! Have faith! We shall prevail!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **LordThunderGamer: You call me Joel one more time and Imma start a manhunt. I know people...**

 **Devontae Daniel: I'm moving this fanfic along at its own pace. I hate rushing things. Also, I'm not that big of a RWBY fan. I love Anime (Code Geass, Mirai Nikki, Fullmetal Alchemist, Toradora!, Clannad, Angel Beats, Blood-C, etc.) but the 3D computer animation is really weird... I prefer my cartoons and Anime in 2D.**

 **Rock Raider: I think that kisses should be spontaneous, not pre-planned. Realistically speaking, if I were in that position I'd also get lured in by temptation. Not many men wouldn't... Now, onto the more important topic. I've definitely got something spicy planned for both Toffee as well as his 'relationship' with Queen Moon.**

 **Guest Sorta: I'm not debating this. It's unnatural from a biological perspective, that's a fact; Why else can't 2 people of the same sex reproduce? Because nature didn't intend for it to happen, therefore it's unnatural. I don't discriminate homosexuals but I don't approve of them either. They exist, whatever.**

 **RedHood001: Question is, what was Moon's relationship with Toffee?**

 **Beebop: Yessir!**

 **FeMorgenstern11: I think you'll be very surprised by Tom's involvement! Unfortunately, I don't wanna spoil the episodes so I can't really give out many details but I've liked this season (or half-season) so far! I'm just hoping the hour-long finale is gonna be worth it! I anticipate tonnes of humour and drama! And, hopefully, Starco; Unless Nefcy decides to torture us for another Season, which she probably will... #FeelsBadMan**

 **Emojiswagger123: How I manage to write fluff? Long story short, I've always been a fan of Romance Anime and Manga (Still a guy!) and have watched/read way too many to keep track (Toradora!, Spice and Wolf, Golden Time, Clannad, Zero no Tsukaima; naming a few off the top of my head...) and I draw inspiration from them. I don't copy/rip anything off but they do help me write Starco fluff and fluff in general. Also, Star and Marco have this natural Chemistry that's ridiculously easy to work with; Jackie and Marco, on the other hand, have less of it...  
**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 3**

 **First Date**

 **Final Part**

 _The Underworld, Tom's Castle, Chamber of Forbidden Artefacts_

"Here we are, Master Tom," Trisha said as the two stopped in front of an ominously-looking door. "The Codex is in that room, along with numerous other artefacts your forefathers have deemed too dangerous to be left unattended."

Tom reached for the handle, only to be stopped by Trisha. He looked at her and saw her dead-serious expression. "I must warn you, master," she said, "There's a reason that book was cast down into the Abyss, so to speak. The knowledge it contains may be dark and dangerous. I'd advise you to proceed with caution."

Tom nodded and turned the handle and opened the door.

The two walked inside and were startled by numerous torches lighting themselves, thereby illuminating the room.

"You know," Trisha began, "Now that I think about it, the chamber is meant for members of the royal family so-"

"I'm gonna need all the help I can get," Tom said, cutting Trisha off mid-sentence, then added, "You're way more experienced in finding important details in books than I am, plus I'm not a fast reader, which, I'm assuming, you are."

Trisha sighed and nodded, then followed Tom into the room.

Tom was impressed by what they saw; The chamber was, indeed, stockpiled with odd weapons, scrolls, books, armour, staffs, you name it. Everything seemed to be divided into sections and subsections, to make things more transparent. The two headed over to the books' section and Tom turned to Trisha, and spoke, "Got any idea what that thing looks like?"

Trisha smiled and giggled. Tom raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just clap your hands together twice," she told him.

Tom, still confused, did as she instructed.

"Good. Now say 'Codex Ex Inferis'"

"OK... Codex Ex Inferis."

As if by magic, which it probably was, an old decaying book levitated out from one of the shelves and over to Tom.

"It's fully automated, for the sake of convenience," Trisha explained.

Tom grasped the book and turned to Trisha, then spoke, "Well, this was easy. And a major letdown..."

Trisha shrugged. "Yeah, it was underwhelming, wasn't it?"

"I'll say!" Tom exclaimed and chuckled. "Next thing you'll tell me is that all I have to do is say _Turn to the page that has information on The Bloodmoon Ball_ and it'll-"

Right on queue, the book broke free from Tom's grip and began floating in front of his face. The pages turned rapidly until it stopped on a page titled 'Information on the Bloodmoon Ball'.

Tom glared angrily. "Seriously!?" The demon sighed, then spoke, "Well, at least it saved us the trouble, I suppose..."

"Shall we return to the Alcove, master Tom? This place is kinda giving me the creeps..."

"Yeah." Tom once again grabbed the book and the two made their way out of the room. Hopefully, they'd be able to find something significant about the Bloodmoon and its magic.

 _Earth, Echo Creek Central Park_

Star tapped her belly and slumped, content, onto the chair, before letting out a sigh, followed by a burp, "Excuse me," she giggled.

Marco chuckled, finding her action cute, in a gross kinda way. He disposed of the now empty plate of Nachos, and spoke, "I can see that the fancy meal was to your liking, Princess Butterfly?"

Star rolled her eyes and decided to keep playing along, "Why yes. The meal was most gratifying. Although..." Star trailed off and turned her head around so that she was now facing the lake. Its surface was as calm as a slumbering child and the Moon still shone with all of its force and beauty. A smile formed on her face.

"Although...?" Marco questioned, gaining her attention.

Star shook her head calmly, "Uh, nothing. Forget about it..."

A sudden smirk crossed Marco's face. The boy stood up and made his way over to Star, then offered her a hand at standing up. "C'mon," he said.

Our of curiosity, the princess raised an eyebrow at him, and asked, "Um, are we going somewhere?"

"Um, yes and no."

"Huh?"

"Just... Come along and you'll find out."

Star hesitantly took Marco's hand and stood up. The two strolled over to the lake and Marco cleared his throat. "So, um, err..." Marco scratched the back of his head with his free hand while Star eyed him curiously. "What do you think of boats?" he blurted out.

"Uh..." Star was unsure how to respond to that, "They're... boats...?" she offered.

"Oh, um, definitely! Definitely... Boats are definitely boats, hehe..."

"Yeah. Boats sure are very... boaty..." Star commenced awkwardly. She was starting to guess where this conversation was headed but didn't want to jump to any conclusions.

"Yep..." Marco muttered.

"..."

"So..." Marco continued, his face heating up, "You wouldn't happen to have your wand with you, right?"

Star seemed offended by his words, "Marco, why would I bring my wand on our first ever date? This should be about the two of us, not magic!"

"... So yes?"

"Yes..." Star begrudgingly admitted and reached behind her back and lo, her wand was in her hand. She sighed, "I'm sorry. I brought is with me just in case-"

"That's not what I meant," Marco chuckled, "I'm glad you brought it with you. You see, I was kinda hoping you'd have it since it makes the next phase my plan possible!"

"Plan?" Star jeered and raise an eyebrow at Marco, who seemed to tense up all of a sudden. She walked full-circle around him while smirking and lightly brushing his face with the tip of her finger. Finally, she stopped and cupped his face with both of her hands and met his gaze. "Marco?"

The boy swallowed. "Y-yes?"

"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" The Princess smirked and tipped her head sideways.

Marco's cheeks reddened and he tugged the collar of his suit, "I-I may or may not have a date plan written... at home... in my journal..."

"You mean your _diary_?"

"Hey!" Marco glared at her, "It's a journal, not a diary! Diaries are for girls and I am not a girl!"

Star giggled and withdrew from Marco, "Tell me, what is the _next phase_ of your plan? Hmm?"

Marco promptly regained his serenity and, with a smile and an edge of confidence in his voice, continued his previous words, "Well, I was hoping that you'd accompany me on a boat ride, Princess Butterfly; Just the two of us?"

"Hmm... I dunno..." Star said teasingly. She pointed the tip of her wand at Marco and poked his nose. "We seem to be lacking a boat. Unless...?"

Marco sighed. He knew very well what she wanted from him but to say it out loud... "Will you please use your magic wand to create a boat?" He pleaded.

Star smiled confidently and waved her wand through the air in a jolly fashion. " **B** uoyancy **O** perated **A** quatic **T** ransport!" She shouted and her wand began flashing in a bright pink light that shot towards the lake and, after it had diminished, a small, wooden boat was afloat on the water. Star smiled, "Ta-da!"

"I'm impressed!" Marco stated, "It didn't explode! Or light itself on fire!"

"What the-" Star frowned and crossed her arms "That's only happened..." she began counting fingers, " _Three_ times!" She exclaimed while pointing her hand at Marco, three of her fingers raised.

Marco rolled his eyes. Picking a fight with her was something he wanted to avoid so he, instead, dropped the topic and walked over to the boat. He got in -and made sure it wouldn't sink- then offered a hand to Star and helped her join him. Once they were both safely seated, Star pointed the tip of her wand at the boat's read end. The wand beamed bright pink, after which the boat started drifting softly across the water.

Star and Marco were each sitting on opposite sides of the boat as an awkward silence settled in between them. Gently, a gust of wind blew and carried a handful of leaves across the sky.

 _Meanwhile, in the Underworld_

"Found anything?" Tom asked Trisha. The Harpy shook her head in response. They were both seated in Tom's Alcove and had the Codex open on the table in front of them.

"Nothing of vital importance," Trisha stated, "However, there is this picture of a cat mask on one of the pages," she noted and pointed at a drawing of a white cat mask that was sketched on one of the book's pages. Its whiskers were red, along with the rims of its black eyes and the insides of its two pointy ears. "Although, it doesn't really say anything important about it..." she added.

"It's probably just there for decorative purposes," Tom commented as Trisha flipped the page.

Trisha's eyes widened and she shot Tom a befuddled look, "Master Tom, you may want to see this..."

"What?" Tom questioned and Trisha pointed at a section of the page. Tom read it aloud, "The reality behind the Bloodmoon-" He jumped, " _Curse_?"

"That's what it says," Trisha noted and continued reading the text.

Tom slumped into his chair. He was perplexed by what he'd just read. _I don't remember anyone ever mentioning a Curse... The heck does it mean?_ Wasn't the Bloodmoon supposed to be 'The Moon of Lovers'? That's what it's celebrated as, so why did this book mention a curse? And more importantly, _what_ kind of curse?

An audible gasp pulled his mind back to reality and he looked at Trisha, the Harpy having covered her mouth with her talons that acted as substitutes for hands. A look of dismay was glued onto her face as she kept staring at the page.

"What is it?" Tom asked and followed her gaze, trying to find the cause of her sudden frigid outburst. After awhile, his eyes widened and his mouth parted open.

"What the..."

 _Earth, Echo Creek Park_

The two lovers were now on the same end of the boat. Both were in a half-lying position, Marco resting his back against the tip of the boat while Star rested hers on his chest, just under his chin and having Marco's arms wrapped around her. They were gazing at the crystal-clear sky as the boat cruised at an even tempo across the lake, never hitting land but making circles repeatedly instead.

"You know," Star began, still staring at the sky, "If someone'd asked me a year ago if I would ever be sharing a boat ride with my Bestie while using him as a pillow and having his arms wrapped around my waist, I'd have probably Narwhal Blasted them..."

Marco chuckled, "Ouch. Was I that undesirable?"

"No," she responded flatly and with no hesitation, "But these kinds of things are reserved for couples, which we weren't, at the time," she explained.

"To be honest, I never saw this coming either," Marco began gently brushing her hair, "But hey, I'm not gonna complain..."

Star smiled and sighed blissfully, "Stars sure are pretty, aren't they?"

"Yes. Yes, you are."

"You goofball..." Star murmured sweetly, "What, do you have a list of smooth comebacks written in your 'journal'?"

"No!" Marco retorted. Star turned her eyes upward and gave him the 'oh, really?' look. Marco sighed, "Maybe..."

"Ahh, Classic Marco..." Star chuckled,

"Oh, don't you start with that!" Marco said with a glare.

Star giggled. "A candlelit dinner, nachos, a boat ride..." she trailed off, "Yep. You're just a big ol' sap tree, aren't you?"

Marco rolled his eyes. Her words were somewhat irritating, although in a rather strange, comforting way. "To be fair, I have had this planned out for quite some time now."

"I have got to get Janna to bring me that diary..." Star murmured.

"What was that?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing, nothing..."

Marco shrugged, "If you say so."

A tranquil silence settled over the two as they kept lying in each other's embrace, and it didn't take too long for Star to let out a long yawn.

"Feeling a little sleepy?"

Star nodded, "Yeah. This tends to happen when I get too comfy..." she explained, her eyes half-lid. It was at that moment that Marco noticed the dark circles under her eyes.

"Are you tired, by any chance, Star?"

She shook her head dismissively, and said, "What? No! I'm not tired! I-" she was cut off by none other than herself as another yawn escaped her mouth. Marco raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed, "Ok, maybe a little..."

"That's weird. You're usually the last person to go to sleep and the first to wake up," Marco noted.

A blush crept onto Star's face as she spoke, "I got a little too excited for our date today and didn't really get any sleep, sorry..."

Marco smiled softly and kissed the top of her head, "It's alright. No need to apologise. What do you say we end out little voyage?" He asked, then added, "I still have something I wanna show you."

Star nodded and crawled to the rear end of the boat, then took out her wand and tapped the rear end with it. The boat made a straight line for the shore of the lake and the two got out as soon as it hit land, Marco exited first and helped Star out.

He walked with her back to their table underneath the tree and said, "So, you remember that thing you told me about wanting a surprise?"

"Wait-" Star raised a finger questioningly, "You mean the boat ride wasn't the surprise?"

"Why would you think it was?"

"I dunno, I just assumed..."

Marco took her hand into his own, "Nope, that wasn't the surprise."

"Alright then, where is it? Do you, like, have it with you or something?"

"Actually, it's right in front of you," Marco said and pointed at-

"A tree?" Star asked. Marco nodded. "Uhh... I don't get it... How is a tree in the middle of the park supposed to be a surprise?"

Marco chuckled lightly, and said, "Well, you may not be aware of this but the tree we're underneath is actually the oldest tree in Echo Creek."

"OK..." She said, trying to follow his words.

"And, well... I wanted to give you something really special but it was kinda hard to come up with something, given that you can just conjure up anything you want with your wand. So, I, uh... J-just see for yourself..." Marco murmured and led her around to the other end of the tree, "Well, whaddya think?"

Star was confused and examined the huge plant. She was about to ask something when her eyes landed on on a weird shape embedded into the tree. She let go of Marco's hand and made her way over to it to get a better look. She ran her hand over the spot; It was a heart carved into the tree with their names inside. In addition, the words 'Safe Kid' and 'Rebel Princess' were written next to the corresponding name.

Star turned around stared at him with wide eyes, "You carved our names into the oldest tree in Echo Creek?"

Marco blushed and spoke, all while rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, the embarrassment in his voice evident, "Yeah... This way, whenever we walk past this tree, we'll always remember tonight," Marco said, looked away, and added, "I know it's not much, and probably considered vandalism, but-"

"Marco... This is... I... Thank you..." She whispered and strolled over to him.

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Thank you? For what?"

Star looked at his with eyes so serene and sincere that his heart stopped for a moment. "For being the most absolutely amazing dorky guy in the Universe!"

"Wait! I'm not-"

He was cut off by Star, who pulled him into a crushing hug. Marco blinked several times, "So, I'm guessing you like it?"

Star pulled away and locked her gaze with his own before leaning in and kissing him passionately.

 _I think that means yes..._

 _Meanwhile_

"Did you get a good shot!?" Rafael Diaz asked his wife, Angie, frantically.

Mrs. Diaz smiled and nodded. "Yep! See," she showed him the recording.

"Ok, now all we have to do is-"

 ***Cough* *Cough***

The two adults turned their heads around and saw the large and very irritated frog-man tapping his foot and eying them sternly. They both smiled sheepishly before being picked up by Buff Frog and carried away to who knows where, thus giving the young couple their well-deserved privacy.

While that was going on, Star and Marco ended their tender embrace and the former rested her head on his left shoulder. Soon, her breathing evened out.

"...Star?" Marco asked but didn't get a response.

 _Later_

Marco was carrying Star piggy-back style. The smile on his face spoke for itself, tonight had been awesome!

He listened to get gentle and even breathing and chuckled. Out of all the ways they could have ended their first date, it had to be this one! Star Butterfly never ceased to surprise him.

He heard her mumble something and turned his head around and saw the content smile on her face.

"Alright, Star, let's get you to bed and-"

He was interrupted by a familiar sound. An interdimensional portal opened in front of him. Before he could react, two figures stepped out of the portal. He lowered his guard. It was just Tom and some Bird-like girl. He noticed that the demon was carrying a black book with himself and bore a serious look.

"We need to talk," Tom said flatly.

Marco was confused by his sudden presence. "Alright? Let me just wake Star up and-"

"No," Tom said, surprising Marco, then continued, "This makes things a lot easier."

"Huh?"

Trisha stepped forward, and spoke, "Just set her down somewhere so we may talk in peace, Marco Diaz."

Hesitantly, Marco walked over to the nearest bench and set Star down. He was extra gentle, not wanting to stir her from her slumber.

The moment he turned to face Tom again the demon shoved the open book into his hands.

"Uh, what's going on?"

Tom didn't say anything but instead pointed at the open page. "Read," said.

Marco raised an eyebrow at him and did as he was instructed. _How come every single book in the history of ever is always in English?_ He wondered but quickly forgot the thought as he kept reading the page.

"I don't get it..." He muttered after awhile, "What am I supposed to-"

A lump formed in his throat and all blood drained from his face. His hands began shaking violently and his pupils widened. The book fell to the ground. A feeling of dizziness overcame him and he stumbled backwards onto the bench, narrowly avoiding Star's head. Luckily, the princess was out cold.

Marco was speechless. He looked at Tom, the demon staring at him sympathetically, and shook his head.

"What..." Marco said breathlessly and shot the two a hopeless look, "This is a joke, right?"

Tom sighed.

Trisha frowned, and spoke, "I wish it was. I'm sorry."

"But if that's true then..."

Tom nodded. The demon walked up close to Marco and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Star, then back at Marco, and spoke, "It's foretold that one of you will... _kill_ the other..."

As Tom finished his sentence, the wind began howling ominously.

 _Meanwhile_

"Oh my," Toffee said. The lizard had just witnessed the events through a magical spying mirror. Next to him stood Jackie, her expression emotionless.

"It appears that things are progressing faster than we'd anticipated," a feminine voice spoke from behind them. It was the woman, her looks matching those of Moon Butterfly to perfection, the only two differences being the two spades on her cheeks and her purple clothing.

"Shall I do my part, mother?" Jackie asked.

The woman shook her head, and spoke, "No. It's still too soon for that." She snapped her fingers and an image of Tom appeared on the mirror. The demon was staring silently at Marco as the boy kept staring into the void with lifeless eyes. "I should have disposed of you when I had the chance!"

Toffee turned to face the woman, "What should we do now, your majesty?"

The woman tapped her chin in thought. After a brief silence, she said, "Unfortunately, we have no other choice but to let things take their course and pray our preparations are completed, before too long. Striking now would result in a disaster and-"

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" Boomed a voice from the corridor and gained the attention of the sordid trio. It belonged to an ogre, who ran towards them at full speed, his frantic expression revealed signs of uneasiness, "She's been sighted!" he yelled. Silence fell upon the room as Jackie, Toffee and the ogre stared at the woman in anticipation, waiting for her to speak up.

"Where?" She asked bluntly, her voice and facial expression as steady as ever.

"She appears to be dwelling in a small Village on the Northern borders of Mewni!"

"Hmm..." The woman spun around so that she was facing the viewing mirror and clapped her hands together a couple of times. The image of Tom was replaced by a blurry portrait, which, moments later, turned into something rather odd; A picture of a white cat mask identical to the one in the Codex. The woman laughed and a smirk crossed her face, "It looks like our plans have just been hastened! How wonderful!"

Jackie seemed worried, "Does that mean...?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. Your time to act has not yet come, my darling. However," she faced Toffee, "Yours, finally, has! You know what to do, I assume?"

"The troops shall be dispatched at once, your greatness," Toffee responded.

"Oh, and another thing," The woman smirked and chuckled grimly, "The term 'survivors' is an unfamiliar one, understood?"

Toffee smirked and bowed his head, "Survivors? Stop making up silly words."

The woman chuckled and looked at the mirror again, the cat mask still present on its normally reflective surface.

 _To be continued..._

 ** _Bonus/Deleted Scene_**

Rafael and Angie were at home with satisfied smiles on their faces. "Well," Angie started,"We may not have gotten the entire thing but there's still plenty of footage of our son's first date!"

"Let's make a backup of it on the Computer," Rafael suggested and walked over to the machine and turned it on. Angie plugged the camera in and Rafael opened its folders.

"Wait," He looked at her curiously upon noticing something odd, "Why are there two recordings?"

"Hmm? Oh, that!" Angie waved her hand, "I couldn't be at home so I recorded the latest episode so I could watch it some other time."

"Episode of what?"

"CSI-"

"Oh," Rafael muttered, "That's a pretty good show, I guess."

"-Miami."

"Get outta my house..."

* * *

 **A/N: So... Yeah... I kinda love embracing my dark side... I'm not saying this fanfic will take an 180° turn and suddenly become dark and messed up but things will definitely not be as lighthearted anymore, in certain chapters. You've been warned.**

 **Also, to any of you wondering; Yes, we will see Ludo. Yes, Alfonzo and Ferguson still exist. No, I haven't forgotten about Prince Shining, he still has a chapter reserved for himself. Comet will also make an appearance in future chapters.**

 **Expected Update: In 2 weeks.**


	15. Chapter 4

**Alright, here's a small -and important- bonus for this week!**

 **Also, since very few people noticed/bothered with it, I implore you to check out the thing I've posted on both my DeviantART and My Tumblr since I did spend a good amount of my free time working on it (Around 6 hours in total) It is tied to this story and this Chapter!**

 **Here are the links (since the previous ones on my profile weren't displaying; Delete the *)**

 ***h*t*t*p*:*/*/*jo*lleiq*.*deviantart.c*om*/**

 ***h*t*t*p*:*/*/*jo*lleiq*.*tumblr.c*om*/**

 **My opinion on the season 2 finale (Both Episodes):**

 **SPOILER ALERT!**

 ***Standing ovation* It was amazing! It had Drama, Action, Romance, Suspense and THAT ENDING! While it was a bit rushed (the last scene was, like, 1 minute long...) the impact it had on the audience (and me) was still pretty... impactful, hehe. What I don't understand is why that many people were saddened by it. It's confirmed that Star** ** _does_** **harbour feeling for Marco and chose to leave Earth to protect him! And frankly, maybe dear old Marco will realise a simple truth, and I quote *clears throat*:**

 _ **"People say you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Truth is, you knew what you had, you just never thought you'd lose it."**_

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Guest Sorta: I don't... I just don't approve of fanfics with homosexual content with underage characters (like Tomco...). Like I said, I generally don't give a damn about someone's sexuality, gender, race, religion, etc. + Love is reserved for a Man and a Woman; Nothing else.**

 **Emojiswagger123: Why Star? She's an amazing Character... Do you hate her? The woman was introduced back in 'My Star' but I've yet to expand her backstory and her character.**

 **FeMorgenstern11: Hehe, well, I've got lots of surprises in store for you guys! And thx! I tried my best to write the date and make it fluffy yet similar to the show.**

 **LordThunderGamer: I wasn't joking. About a year ago or so one of my friends was messing around and found a site where you can hire a team of professionally-trained American Snipers for 200k to assassinate someone... Yeah...**

 **Captin jar: Haha! Tricked you! But in all seriousness, I normally update once every 2 weeks.**

 **DonDonatek: YOU'VE ABANDONED MY STORY!? TRAITOR! Hehe, just kidding :P. I do that too, sometimes; I got into a book then stopped reading it for about 1 month and then continued XD! And the finale was amazing! But... I guess my story does have the drug everyone calls 'Starco' so it should help patch you up after that rough 'Starcrushed' Episode.**

 **RedHood001: Links are above (thx for informing me, btw)**

 **Rock Raider: Well, not entirely. Star doesn't know about it. But it will play a decisive role at some point, with a twist, that is! And no, Buff Frog was just... there... There's no deeper meaning behind his presence... Don't judge me!**

 **Connor Filbert: Sure. However, PM me with what exactly you wish to use and in what way. I'm a bit paranoid since the Episode 'Heinous' was nearly identical to what I had planned... But, again, I have nothing against it. Just PM me and explain what you wish to do :)**

 **Hi: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Tears of Pain**

 _Mewni, Northern Borders_

A breath of wind blew gently across the village, a soft breeze carrying the freshly fallen cherry leaves across the sky. One were to expect the climate to be chilly and the land to be coated in white, such as the North was infamous for on Earth. On Mewni, however, it was a different, otherworldly story. The sun shone brightly at day and the bloom was bountiful among fields of lush grass and flourishing trees; A place where Spring was eternal, one could say.

A truly an idyllic place, most would say.

However, the term 'idealism' loses all meaning when one looks under the surface of things; It is only when you peel away the shell that you find its hidden substance. In one of the houses, a small palace in size, this would come to realisation...

"Hurry it up, will you!?" A deep and authoritative voice barked aloud. It belonged to a man clad in fancy blue clothing and with a neatly-combed black beard and a moustache. He was sitting at a table in a large room and tapping his fingers on the table impatiently. The cup in front of him was the cause of his irritation; It was _still_ empty.

"I said, _hurry it up! Now!_ " He repeated.

"Coming! Coming!" A tiny voice responded frantically from the other room. It's owner soon appeared; A small girl dressed in a robe of various blues which was vividly decorated with an array of flowers. Her eyes were purple and her hair hung loosely down her left side. It was of a peculiar colour, or colours, better said; various purples and pinks blending together with one another, much like the sky at sundown. Atop of her head rested a rather interesting object; a white cat mask with red features in certain areas.

The girl was carrying a teapot and bearing an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry it took so long, master. But I spilt the first pot by accident and then the second one slipped out of my hands and broke and-"

"Shut it!" He cut her off. She nodded and carefully filled the man's cup with the hot beverage. He sniffed it a few times before having a taste. He glared at her and slammed his fist on the table.

"This is awful!" He yelled and threw the cup at her. She tried to duck out of the way but was too slow. The resulting impact shattered the porcelain and spilt the steaming-hot liquid over her face. She yelped in pain and stumbled to the floor. Her skin felt as if it were on fire. She placed a hand on her cheek and winced at the sudden pain; It felt like she'd been stung by a wasp.

"You really are worthless, aren't you?" the man scoffed and slumped into his chair, "Can't even make a decent cup of tea..."

"I-I'm sorry, master!" The girl said, holding back tears, "I'll make more. Just-"

"No, you won't," said the man. He stood up from his chair and walked over to her. Glaring down at the frightened creature, he spoke, his voice harsh and filled with resentment, "I'm fed up with you! You can't cook, you can't clean, you can't read-"

"But you never taught me how to-"

The girl felt a sharp pain and was sent hurling back several feet by a single, powerful blow of the man's arm. " **SILENCE!** " He roared. The girl trembled in fear and crawled backwards to the nearest wall and bumped her back against it. The man pointed a finger at her, "I've been patient with you, child, but no more!" He whipped his hand and pointed at the door "Out!"

"Just one more chance! Please!" The girl pleaded and clasped both of her hands together.

"I said, out!" He repeated, his fury growing with each passing moment.

"But... I don't have anywhere else to go... Please..." She begged with tears in her eyes and a dishearted voice.

" **OUT!** " The man's voice boomed and terrified the girl. She cowered in fear before scrambling onto her feet and running away as fast as her little legs could carry her; The door of the house was left open as her flight of panic wouldn't allow her to close it.

"And good riddance!" the man growled, not a single hint of remorse in his voice.

* * *

The night sky was dark and cloudy. The Night was settling in and people were returning to the safety and warmth of their homes, ready to reunite with their families and share the tales of their day's thrills. An elderly couple, both neatly clothed and groomed, were walking down the main street when the woman felt a gentle tug on the back of her dress. She spun around and saw a small girl with a cat mask strapped on her head looking at her with glistering eyes.

"What is it, child?" She asked, clearly irritated.

"C-could you please let me stay at your house for the night...?"

The woman kept a straight face and asked, "And why would we do that?"

The girl looked down at the ground, "I got kicked out of my home and have nowhere to sleep..."

"Well," the husband spoke, "That's your problem, not ours."

"But it'll rain tonight!" She said and pointed at the dark clouds in the sky. A gust of cold wind blew and she shivered, "And it's gonna be cold! I could freeze to death out here!"

The couple exchanged an odd look before the woman removed the girl's hand from her dress, "Again, that's your problem, not ours."

"I-I was a servant! Surely you two need another!" The girl insisted.

"We have too many servants as it is; Might even have to let a few of them go..." the woman muttered. She then opened her purse and threw a single copper coin at the girl's feet. "There," she uttered, "You can probably get a loaf of bread for that. Now, if you'll excuse us..." she finished and turned around and walked away with her husband without so much as giving her a second glance.

The girl frowned and picked the coin up. She clenched her fist around it and threw it at the first building she saw before storming off.

After several failed attempts at persuading bypassers to show her pity and allow her an accommodation for the night, she slumped against a wall in a dark and damp alley and finally broke down. Built up anger, frustration, sadness; She let it all out in the form of teardrops -which ran down from underneath her mask- and forcefully muffled sobs. She was alone now. Then again, she'd always been alone. Now, however, she was truly alone. No family or friends. No persons she could call mum and dad. Nobody. She didn't even have so much as a single memory of two such figures ever being in her life.

Since a tender age she'd been brought up in _that house_ , where she had to cater to owning family's every whim. The term 'maid-in-training' was an allusion, as was the word 'servant'. She was nothing more than a slave and she knew it. Well, had been a slave. Now she wasn't even that! She was just a little girl cast out into the harsh world where kindness was scarce and peoples' hearts were hollow. What made the matter even worse was the brutal reality that her former master's words hadn't been without justification; He was unarguably right about her. No matter what she tried -making food, washing the clothes, doing the dishes- it always ended in a fiasco and 'rewarded' her with either a beating or a night without supper. She really was a good-for-nothing.

"Could this day get any worse..." She mumbled. Just then, she heard a crack of lightning and felt a raindrop land on her head. Then another. Soon it began raining cats and dogs.

She sighed.

 _Figures..._

The girl sat there and wallowed in self-pity as another crack of thunder shook the ground and sky. No, wait; That didn't sound like thunder...

She looked at the street and noticed the town's guardsmen, their armour gleaming and their weapons in hand, hurrying towards the main gate. She stood up poked her head out of the alley. With wide eyes she watched the horrid display unfold before her eyes; The city's main gate was breached and monsters were swarming through it and slaughtering everyone and everything they came across. The villagers stood no chance and the guardsmen were quickly brought down to their knees.

After the first wave of guards was defeated, smaller monsters, goblins by the look of it, poured into the city and, with torches and oil cans in hand, began setting the buildings ablaze. It wasn't long before a fiery inferno broke out, one that even the rain couldn't snuff out. The girl whimpered as a can of burning oil flew into an inn and set the entire thing aflame. She heard the screams of terror emerge from it as the people inside were roasted alive. One, a young boy, burst through the front door and let out a cry for help, begging for someone to extinguish him before succumbing to the flames and collapsing onto the ground.

She saw his face. His hollow eyes were looking right into her soul.

She didn't want to die like this, not when she'd yet to fully experience life.

She had to escape the onslaught.

So, without thinking, she made a break for it. With nimble movements she dodged every monster that stood in her path. The fiends were fast but she was faster. Where the sudden burst of energy had come from, she couldn't tell. But she didn't halt a single time; Not when people were killed right in front of her, not when injured villagers pleaded for her to help them before being silenced by the blades of the invaders, not even when she was outside the village. Fatigue was an alien sensation. She didn't think about it; Was unable to think about it. All she could do was run.

As she hurried through the dark forest, the screams of the villagers kept ringing in her ears. The droplets of crimson pouring down like rain were now etched into her memory. The horrid images of burning buildings and corpses were still flashing in front of her eyes. The look of death from that boy's eyes... Her mind was in a state of panic, expecting a monster to jump out of the shadows and end her.

She stopped running only when she could no longer hear the flickering of flames and the clashing of blades. It felt like several hours had passed when in reality it was probably a few minutes. Nevertheless, the sounds of battle had died out and she could no longer see the village. She stood still for a few moments, completely surrounded by blackness.

She felt exposed.

She needed shelter.

Taking a look around, the girl spotted a hollow stump and crawled into it, her tiny size allowing her to do so; Thank the heavens she wasn't any older. Once her body was surrounded by the makeshift shelter she sat down and curled into a fatal position, wrapping her arms around her legs, and wiped away the tears and drops of sweat from underneath her mask. She was tired, cold, hungry, and alone. What's worse, she no longer had a place to return to. Her master may have been cruel and the inhabitants heartless but it was still the place where she'd spent her entire lifetime. And now it was gone. The village, its people, the animals; All charred and slaughtered by the invading monsters. It all happened so fast, and she'd been powerless to stop them.

She took off her cat mask, revealing her bloodshot eyes, and studied it. Much like everything else about her origin, its was unknown. Maybe it was a gift from her parents? Or maybe a long-forgotten friend? Maybe her master had had some weird fetish and gave it to her one day to please his lewd desires? She didn't know. All she knew about the thing was that it was a neatly crafted piece and she rarely took it off. What's more, nobody else had another one like it.

She sat upright and strapped it back onto her head. Whatever it was, it was hers.

She leant her head against the wall of the stump and allowed herself a tired sigh. She gazed up at the sky, still filled with thunderous clouds, and closed her eyes. The sensation of raindrops against her bare skin was oddly soothing. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have a roof over her head...

She heard an odd creaking noise, like that of a chopped tree mere moments before gravity is declared the victor and it meets its inevitable demise. Strangely, the sensation of raindrops splattering against her face also stopped. She opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times at the sight; The stump had grown a makeshift roof! How the heck does a tree stump even do that!? It's not like a dead tree could read her thoughts! ...Right?

"I must be getting delusional..." she murmured. Either way, she wasn't going to complain about it. "At least I won't drown or freeze to death... hopefully..." she noted. Her robe was still soaking wet but it would dry off in a few hours ...Probably.

The girl yawned and slowly closed her eyes for a second time. She was too weary to think about the day's events; Not like she wanted to remember them. They were a misery, much like everything else in her life; If one could even call it 'life'... Maybe the land of dreams would allow her mind some much-needed respite? She let go of her consciousness and fell into a deep slumber, ignoring both the howling of the wind and the pouring of the rain.

 _End of Chapter 4!_

* * *

 **FINALLY, the OC tagged has been introduced! You heard right! Many of you thought it was Comet but, honestly, did you really expect me to have a Star-lookalike be one of the main characters? Shame on you! Don't get me wrong, Comet will still appear but she is NOT a key factor in this story! Anyway, be sure to check out my DeviantART or Tumblr where I drew this OC! And no, it's not another 'cheap-ripoff' but it's the result of me putting a lot of work and effort into it for you guys!**

 **Oh, and her name will be revealed very soon! Also, be sure to leave a review!**

 **Until then! Bye!**

 **Expected Update: Next week!**


	16. Chapter 5: A Voice in the Cold Wind

**A/N: So I watched _Logan_ last week (I trust most of you know what movie I'm talking about) and only cried for about 6 hours... Definitely one of the best movies I've seen in the past couple of years! I suggest watching it if you haven't, especially if you're a fan of the X-Men and Wolverine (I am :P)**

 **Also, I'm not entirely sure where I went with this chapter (I kid you not; I don't remember writing half of it...) but I guess it should do.**

 **P.S. I've Changed my profile picture to the OC described in the previous Chapter; I drew her myself and posted her on my DeviantArt, which is why I posted the link (And nobody really bothered to check out... Glad to see that all my hard work paid off -.-')**

 **That being said, enjoy this chapter ^.^!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RobLebron: Read and find out :P**

 **TheRealCartoonManiac: I actually hate putting so many details into my fanfics because it's already tiring enough to put them in my Novel XD! Fanfiction is that place where I just write and don't really pay that much attention to anything -hence the numerous mistakes- so having to focus on this as well is annoying.**

 **FeMorgenstern: Um, thx?**

 **EmojiSwagger123: Yes. She appeared in the Epilogue. And that's debatable!**

 **Soulfire47: Idk. You honestly think I have this stuff planned out? I've been winging it since day 1 xD**

 **Rock Raider: Yep! Expect to see A LOT of Character development to this OC. Her name will be revealed shorty, in case you were wondering.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **A Voice in the Cold Wind**

 **Part 1**

"Marco!" Star snapped her fingers in front of the boy's face several times and brought him out of his trancelike state. He shook his head rapidly and gave her a withdrawn look. The rest of the students stared at him in confusion while Miss Skullnick kept tapping her foot impatiently. The 'woman' pointed her ruler at the boy, and said, "Diaz, I'm not going to repeat myself for the 3rd time! Get up here and solve this equation before I give you detention!"

Marco got up from his desk and walked over to the blackboard and proceeded to solve the equation, then reassumed his place at his desk without saying a single word. Miss Skullnick was still angry at him, "I swear, if I catch you dozing off one more time, Diaz..." The woman gave a disapproving gesture and called forth another student to solve the next equation.

While that was going on, Star leant closer to Marco and whispered into his ear, "Marco, is everything alright? You're usually the only one who pays any attention in class."

"I...uh..." The boy trailed off as he struggled to phrase his words, "Let's just say I've had some stuff on my mind."

"Ok. What kinda stuff?"

"Nothing important," he shrugged it off, "Just some nonsense," he added.

"What kind of nonsense?" Star pressed on, now curious to know what was keeping her boyfriend occupied from listening to a maths lecture, a subject that he oh so adored.

"Eh, nothing to worry about," the haphazardness in his voice assured Star that it really was nothing and, while she still wanted to know the details, calmed her worries and put a bright smile on her face. The two teens then spotted Miss Skullnick glaring at them out of the corner of her eye and cut their little chat short, neither of them being in the mood for another detention.

While Marco did pay attention from then on, his thoughts kept wandering back to Friday night, to one particular event that had left him shaken up and unable to focus properly on anything.

 _One of you will kill the other._

This just **had to** be some sort of mistake! Why on Earth or Mewni would he or Star ever do such a thing? He could never hurt Star, or vice-versa, even if he were forced to, so why would some prophecy foretell such an absurd thing?

 _There has to be more to it than just that!_

But what? Sadly, at present, he had no way of finding out since some of the book's pages had been ripped out and very little information was present as if someone didn't want him to know the full truth of his predicament. Regardless, the last thing he wanted was to have Star find out about it; He knew her too well. She would do anything to protect him, which included leaving Earth and him behind. He didn't want that. Keeping more secrets from her filled him with a sense of guilt but he reassured himself that it was only until Tom and Trisha found out more details. Plus the thought of her leaving him was unimaginable. It was selfish, but he didn't care. He wanted her to stay by his side and be mad at him when the time came, and not potentially leave.

He looked over to her desk and noticed her scribbling something into her book. Was she actually taking notes? He caught a quick glimpse of her notebook and saw several sketches of rainbows, cats, unicorns, etc.

Marco frowned. _Star taking notes? I must be getting delusional..._

* * *

"We're home!" The young princess said upon opening the door and skipping into the house along with Marco, who closed the door behind them.

"Hi, kids!" Angie Diaz greeted them from the kitchen upon hearing them arrive. Her husband Rafael was on a business trip somewhere in the state of Oregon and she was busy preparing dinner.

"Hi, mom," Marco greeted his mother while Star rushed up the stairs and to her room, explaining that her 6th sense was telling her that her mother, Queen Moon, had some urgent news for her. He didn't quite understand _how_ she knew that, but Star was Star.

"How was your day?" Angie beamed at her son.

"It was alright," Marco opened the fridge and poured himself a glass of milk, "Nothing our of the ordinary."

"Define ordinary," Angie chuckled. Marco rolled his eyes and smiled.

"Nothing like a giant monster attack or anything like that," Marco stretched his earlier statement before drinking the milk and placing the glass into the sink. "What about you?"

"Eh, kinda boring with your father being away and all..." Angie replied and looked for something in the upper drawer.

"Need some help?"

"No. I think I can handle making dinner on my own, Marco."

"Suit yourself," Marco shrugged, "I'll be upstairs if you need me," he told his mother before heading over to the stairway.

"Remember to leave the doors open!" Angie said in reminder.

"Not funny!" Marco hollered back before entering his room and slamming the door shut. Angie snickered and started peeling some potatoes.

Upstairs, Marco threw his backpack underneath his desk and opened a small drawer, from which he retrieved a small tome; The one Comet had given him awhile ago. He eyed it briefly before putting it into his backpack. Tomorrow, after school, he would start practising some magic, as Comet had suggested he do. Odds were that Star would get detention, again, which would leave him with a good two hours to learn the ropes. He couldn't do it at home, obviously, since Star would most likely find out.

Speaking of the Mewman Princess, he could hear her chattering with someone, but couldn't quite make out the topic of the conversation. He could, however, tell that she was talking with her mother by her pattern of speech. The conversation soon came to a halt. Moments later, a dimensional portal opened in his room and Star walked through it, bearing a stern look.

"Marco, we have to go to Mewni."

 _Meanwhile_

The harsh wind felt like daggers against the girl's cold and moist skin as she walked through the muddy and damp forest. Each cold breath sent new chills running down her spine. Every step was tiring and left her feeling dizzy and devoid of all energy. Her body and legs were ready to give in to the fatigue which was threatening to overcome any remainder of iron resolve and force her to the ground. But she had to keep moving.

She shivered violently as a gust of icy wind sent a flock of leaves dancing freely above the ground and past her. Their swirling motions brought back memories of the fiery inferno that had brought doom to her former home. She was tempted to go back and see if, just maybe, the townspeople had managed to hold off the invaders and protect the city.

She knew better than to get her hopes up like that, only to have them crushed into dust. Such luck wasn't hers to have.

The fate of the town and its people was all too clear; It would be a waste of precious energy and time to go back and stare at a bunch of charred corpses and ruined buildings. Those were just memories now. All she could do was move forward.

"On the bright side, at least things can't get much worse..."

On queue, her stomach grumbled loudly, demanding for sustenance. She looked down at her stomach with a crooked eyebrow, "I already knew I was hungry! No need to remind me!"

The girl sighed and began scanning her surroundings, hoping to find something, anything, remotely edible.

"Trees, trees, trees and oh, look! More trees!" She grumbled and sighed heavily, "There has to be a berry bush or _something_ around here!"

The sound of leaves rustling caught her attention. She turned to her left and basked in delight; A Hare was minding its own business amid a small clearing covered with leaves.

The girl swiftly ducked behind the nearest tree stump and watched the tiny creature as it hopped around the clearing. It was probably looking for food, unawares that it would soon _be_ food. She whipped her head around in search of an object with which she could strike from afar and main the rabbit before it could run off. She frowned. _As if throwing a rock is gonna accomplish anything!_

The idea was stupid; She needed something better. A trap? Maybe, but she would need time, tools, knowledge and items to fabricate one, none of which were at her disposal. Perhaps she could try and sneak up from behind and take the creature by surprise? A decent idea, but it would be difficult to execute given that the leaves would give her away in a matter of seconds, and that wasn't even accounting for the hare's heightened sense of hearing!

As luck would have it, the girl's problem was solved in an instant as the creature hopped onto a seemingly thick patch of leaves, only to have them collapse underneath his large feet and plunge him into a small hole. She grinned widely and rushed over to the hole wherein the creature lay and grabbed in by the ears and hind feet. The animal struggled to break free but soon realised that all efforts were in vain, the girl's size and strength being that of a giant compared to its own.

She knelt down and suppressed the animal's legs with her knee and pressed the head against the ground, then picked up a sharp piece of flint from the nearby muck and brought it closer to the rabbit's neck.

The hand holding the murderous weapon refused to obey her thoughts and didn't budge an inch. With a heavy sigh, she threw the rock elsewhere and removed her knee from the creature's legs, "I can't do this..." she murmured and helped the hare back onto its feet before letting go of the large ears. The animal stared at the human in confusion as the girl sat down and brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

"Sorry about that..." She apologised whilst stroking the hare's fluffy back, "I didn't wanna scare you. I was- _I am_ just really hungry and... Oh, forget it..."

She withdrew her hand from the creatures back. It sat there for a few moments before leaving her side with several small leaps. The girl's moment of small joy was cut short as a red fox jumped the rabbit and, with a lightning motion, grabbed it by the neck and made off, satisfied with the easily-obtained meal. Seeing that made her feel indifferent; While she couldn't bring herself to take the hare's life, she was in no mood to bewail something so trivial. Such is the law of nature, she supposed.

 _Everything and everyone dies... All we're doing is stalling out the inevitable..._

She felt a tender touch brush her across the cheek as the sky above the glade cleared and the sun's rays bathed her in their warmth. An odd tranquillity settled in the forest as more beams of light broke through the thick layer of clouds and filled the forest with new life. To the girl, it seemed unreal, as if her mind were toying with her and trying to eliminate the horrid events from her memory. For once, she let herself be deceived and enjoyed the respite which the Sun's rays provided. She felt too comfortable, but she didn't care and instead closed her eyes and let herself drown in the warmth and peacefulness of the moment.

* * *

"Are you sure we're headed the right way?" Marco questioned his bestie as they kept trudging through the overgrowth of the mewman forest, "And besides, why are we even here? Weren't you exiled from Mewni?"

"I was, but this village is outside of our Kingdom's borders, so I'm technically not breaking any laws by being here," Star responded casually.

"Alright, but why are _we_ here? Couldn't your parents have gone or, I dunno, sent a patrol or something to check this place out?"

"It's... uh... complicated..." Star used her wand to clear a portion of the way, then continued, "And didn't I already explain this to you?"

"That wasn't really much of an explanation," The two stopped and faced each other, "All you told me was that your mom sensed something strange in this area and needed us to check it out. I have no idea what's going on or what that strange thing is!"

"I dunno either, and neither does my mom," Star noted, "All she told me was that she's sure _something_ happened. We don't know what since the nearby town isn't within my parents' range of dominion."

"Wait," Marco raised an eyebrow, "I thought your parents ruled over all of Mewni...?"

"They do. _The Kingdom of Mewni_ , not the whole dimension," Star raised a single finger as she explained, "Mewni is just a Kingdom within Mewni. There are several other Kingdoms outside of Mew-"

"Hang on!" Marco felt migraines on his head and tried to stiffen them by rubbing his fingers on the spots, "So what you're saying is, that the dimension we're in is named after the Kingdom your parents rule over, yet the entire dimension isn't a Kingdom but just has the exact same name?"

"Yep!"

"That's ludicrous!"

"Gesundheit."

"What?"

"What?"

"..."

"..."

"You know what, forget it," Marco let out a defeated sigh as his arms slumped to his sides, "Could you just tell me why we had to go instead of **anyone** else? I've still got homework to do..."

"Because the royal guards suck!" Star hollered while outstretching her arms to emphasise her statement, "There hasn't been a decent war for decades and they're so rusty that my parents wouldn't trust them with teaching wood how to burn!"

"Woah! Woah! No need to yell at me!"

Star flinched and made an apologetic expression, "Sorry... It's just kinda awkward having to admit that your home's self-protection force mainly consists of incompetent bimbos and is utterly useless..."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Marco casually said as he waved his arm in a dismissive fashion, "It's the same on Earth with politicians," he concluded and smiled, "And I'm sure it can't be that bad-"

"They once attacked themselves by accident and lost 200 men..." Star said, her sombre expression matching her voice. Marco, unsure how to respond, decided to drop the topic, and said, "Anyway... Let's just get to that place and see what the issue is."

Star nodded. A gust of cold wind blew and she shivered violently while hugging herself for warmth. Marco, who noticed this, grew concerned and began taking off his hoodie to offer it to her. Star, realising his intention, stopped him, thereby gaining a raised eyebrow from the boy. "Marco, no," she spoke, her voice firm and decisive, "I don't want you getting cold because of me! I'll be fine!" Just as she finished her sentence, more of the chilly breath glazed over her skin and sent her shivering.

Marco chuckled and proceeded to take off his hoodie, then wrapped it around her and smiled as Star's shivering immediately ceased. "There, that's better," he said, satisfied with his deed.

"But-"

"No buts, Star," Marco placed a finger on her lips, "I'll be fine. You just stay nice and warm and don't worry about me, alright?"

Star couldn't help it as a blush crept onto her face and tinted her cheeks in a light cherry colour. "Thank you..." she murmured her tone uncharacteristically humble. Marco smiled; While hyperactive and sassy Star was the girl he'd fallen for, modest and cute Star -not that she wasn't always cute- had an entirely different charm to her. Perhaps the reason for this was the newcome attitude she displayed during such moments. Either way, she was adorable.

Marco shivered as a cold gust caught him off guard. He noticed the concerned frown on the princess' face as she spoke, "See? I told you it was cold, Marco," With those words being said, Star, timidly, edged closer to Marco and wrapped her arms around one of his own, then pressed herself against his side. "I can help keep you warm a little bit..."

Marco was about to comment something when he heard an odd moan from somewhere nearby. He exchanged an odd look with Star, who also bore a look of curiosity, and yelled, "Hello? Is someone there?"

After receiving no response, the two saw a small opening, a glade, in the middle of the dense forest and decided to check it out. Upon coming out of the heard of trees, their eyes widened as they saw a small girl sleeping in the middle of the clearing. The two walked over to her and were shocked to discover that her colourful robe was completely drenched. Her breathing was heavy and her forehead was hot to the touch. The oddity on her head, a white and red cat mask, was holding her purplish hair in a side braid.

She was shivering violently and silent whimpers kept escaping from her mouth.

"What's a kid like her doing out here all by herself?" Marco asked.

"I dunno," Star frowned, "Maybe she's from the town up ahead?"

Marco didn't like the sound of that. If a little girl from a nearby town was alone and freezing out in the woods, that could only mean one thing...

"Cmon," he told Star as he picked the girl up piggyback-style and made sure she wouldn't fall off, "Something's amiss here, and I don't like it."

Star nodded and the three -counting the unconscious girl- made a straight line for the town. What awaited Star and Marco, however, would leave them more frozen than the chilly wind ever could.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:  
**

 **As always, thank you for reading this, and feel free to leave a review! Until next time! Bye!**

 **Expected Update: In 2 weeks!**


	17. Chapter 5 Part 2

**A/N: Well, less than 100 days to go for Season 3; I can't wait to see the cruel ways in which Nefcy will torture us! In the meanwhile, please enjoy this next Chapter! Also, thank you guys sooo much for over 400 reads on the newest chapter and nearly 15k altogether! You guys are the best!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:  
**

 **kylegriggs13: Thanks! Much appreciated :)**

 **Mother of Fire: As I mentioned, they definitely got their souls bound. And I think that Star will be sadder without Marco because she loves him, and Marco's feelings are still unknown.**

 **Captin jar: Dude, it takes time to write quality content. And, honestly, I'm working on a Fantasy Novel which I plan to finish and publish by the end of the year; There I actually have to pay attention to detail and grammar, so it takes a lot of focus end energy to write. Combined that with College and I'm left with little to no free time to do much else, and I still have a life so I can't just sit behind my laptop all day long and write! This is a hobby, not a paid job. Sorry for the rant but this is the 2nd time you've asked me this question and I thought you deserved a justified answer from my side.**

 **RobLebron: Oh, there will definitely be Drama with lots of twists and turns, that I can assure you! The rest of your questions will be answered in the following Chapters!**

 **Rock Raider: Yep, I even drew her and am now using her as my profile pic ^.^! And your guess about what's going to happen to the girl is EXTREMELY close!**

 **One-Crazed-Up-Dragon: Well, here it is :)**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **A Voice in the Cold Wind**

 **Part 2**

"What happened..." Marco murmured as the three wandered through the streets of the once-proud village, observing the ruins of the burnt buildings and spotting charred corpses wherever they looked. Some were piled atop of each other, while others lay in the middle of the street, left there to rot alone.

Marco heard a loud gasp escape Star's mouth and shot her an alarmed look. The princess had her mouth covered with her right hand and was gazing at something in front of them with pure shock and horror written on her face. Marco followed her look and soon saw the reason; A young boy, no older than the age of 6 or possibly 7, was impaled on a wooden spike that was sticking out of the ground. His lower half was missing and blood was oozing from his mouth, dripping slowly onto the ground like drops of water from a defect faucet.

Marco frowned sadly and placed a comforting hand on his girlfriend's shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked with enough tender care in his voice to almost fully mask the grief in his heart.

Star closed her eyes and breathed deeply, trying her best to stay calm and collected. She faced Marco before daring to open them again. Upon seeing the concern on his face, she nodded, "I'm alright. It's just... I've never..." she trailed off, unable to phrase her thoughts.

Marco, without hesitation, hugged her while making sure the girl on his shoulders wouldn't fall off. Star was a strong girl, both mentally and physically, but Marco knew that it was because of her cheerful and free-spirited attitude that such sights easily broke her; It was her nature to spread love to everything and everyone, and seeing such destruction was like a bullet straight through her chest.

Star lightly pushed him away, effectively ending the hug, and spoke, "We have to let my parents know about this. If there's been an attack right outside our borders, then one of our own towns might be the next target of whoever did this."

The speed at which Star was able to recover from the shock and fully focus on a more pressing matter astounded Marco. He nodded. "Alright. This place is creeping me the heck out anyway..." Marco shook his head. "Who could do such a thing, and why?"

"Maybe she could tell us?" Star said, referring to the girl on Marco's shoulders. Star frowned. "Ok, here's the plan. I'll carry her home to Earth and you go to my parents and tell them about... this."

"What?" Marco asked, one eyebrow raised. Star turned around gestured him to hand the girl over to her, which he did. Once the child was safe atop of Star's back, Marco said, "Why just me? Wouldn't it be better if we both went?"

Star shot him her 'really?' look. "Marco. In case you forgot-" she raised her left hand and pointed at her ring, the topaz gleaming in the sunlight.

Marco blushed and looked away. "Oh, right, _that_..." he murmured whilst rubbing the back of his head with one hand.

"Yes, _that_! I'm still legally not allowed to set foot on Mewman grounds."

"What about the girl? Shouldn't I take her to the castle and hand her over to your parents?"

"Your mom knows what to do. Trust me; When I was sick that one time, she took better care of me than any Mewman doctor ever could!" Star's lips curled upwards into a bright smile as she fondly remembered the time she'd been attacked by the elusive 'Flu' and had to stay in bed for an entire week, unable to attend school -which was an upside- or run around and have fun. Luckily for her, Mrs. Diaz had nursed her back to health in no time and she was soon able to return to her daily routine. "Just tell my parents that we'll ask her as soon as she's back on her feet, alright?"

"Alright," Marco gave her a thumbs up. "I'll be back as soon as I've explained everything to them."

Star gave him a quick smooch on the cheek, then took out her dimensional scissors and cut open 2 portals; The first leading to the Diaz' Household, the other leading to Castle Mewni. Each of the teens entered their respected one.

"Oh, Marco," Queen Moon said, surprised upon seeing the boy enter through a dimensional portal and greet her. King River was currently absent as he was busy performing other royal duties -AKA Secretly being on a 'business trip' with Rafael Diaz- which left the Queen of Mewni alone with the Earth boy, not counting the guards that were present.

"You do know that entering the royal hall in such a fashion is punishable and that you must first be granted permission, don't you?"

Marco chuckled nervously. "Um, no?"

Moon stared flatly at the nervous boy for several moments before chuckling and letting a smile creep onto her face. "I'm joking, Marco. Well, not entirely. Were it anyone other than you, then perhaps those rules would apply. But, seeing as how you're practically royalty already, I suppose that I can grant you free access to the throne room." The queen cleared her throat and masked her smile with her usual calm and focused expression. "Now, what brings you here?"

"I'm here to give a, um, _report_ about the findings just outside of your Kingdom's borders, your majesty."

"Again with the formalities..." Moon groaned and rolled her eyes "Boy, there's honestly no need for that! Just be frank!"

"Sorry..." Marco apologised and decided to rephrase his words. "Basically, that thing you told Star to do, we did it and now I'm here to tell you about it since she can't really come here."

"Much better." Moon smiled, very pleased with the boy's change in attitude. "Continue," she beckoned.

"Well, you know how there was a village there, right?"

Moon nodded.

"Well, now you can say that there literally **was** a village!" Marco put special emphasis on the word and sparked the queen's curiosity. "We went there and..."

"...And?"

Marco took a deep breath and frowned before locking his gaze with the Queen's. "The entire town is basically charcoal now..."

Moon's eyes widened in alarm. She was hoping that she's misheard something, but the boy's expression said otherwise. "You mean...?"

Marco slowly nodded. "All we found were burned buildings and piles upon piles of corpses scattered all over the place. Star looked like she was about to freak out."

Queen Moon slumped into her chair and looked upward, staring at the ceiling. "As if I didn't have enough trouble already, and now this..." she sighed deeply and looked at Marco. "Is there anything else worth mentioning?

"Actually, yeah. Star and I found a young girl just lying in the middle of the forest."

"A girl?"

"Yep." Marco nodded, then continued, "We think she's from the village, but we won't find out until she wakes up and tells us. Anyway, Star took her back to Earth so she can rest up in someplace warm; Her kimono was soaked and she was probably freezing."

"Her what?" Moon questioned upon hearing the unfamiliar word.

"Oh, sorry," Marco smiled sheepishly, "Her robe. But yeah, she's on Earth right now and we'll let you know if she has any, uh, information about this whole situation." _Man, I hate it when words rhyme like that!_

The Queen nodded. "Alright. Thank you for sharing this news. I'll be sure to let the neighbouring Kingdom's rulers know about the situation if they've yet to find out and send more men to monitor Mewni's northern borders." She clapped her hands a couple of times and a quill and a piece of paper floated over to her. She took the feather and scribbled something onto the paper before tucking both objects away. Moon then looked at Marco, and spoke, "Now, there's one more thing I've been meaning to discuss with you. Well, not so much discuss, but more along the lines of make you aware of it."

Marco arched his right eyebrow at the Queen. "Alright, what?"

"The trial is near. That is all." She said firmly and fell silent.

"Huh?" Marco asked confusedly, unsure what the woman was even talking about.

"You'll find out soon enough. Now, return to your Dimension and make sure my daughter stays out of trouble."

"Umm... ok...?"

"Begone now. Shoo." She briskly waved him off and called one of her royal advisors over. The two adults soon fell into a conversation and Marco, seeing that there was nothing left for him to do at the palace, asked one of the court wizards to help him return home.

 _Earth_

Dusk had settled itself across the landscape as the Sun was slowly disappearing yonder the horizon. As the latino boy exited the portal and entered his house he noticed that the living room was empty. Hearing muffled footsteps and voices coming from upstairs, he ascended the stairs and noticed that the door of Star's room was open. He made his way over and his mother exited the room just as he was about to enter.

"Marco, I'm glad you're here," the woman told her son and moved aside to give him enough space to enter the room. "Could you go in and help Star look after that little darling she brought home earlier? I need to go downstairs and make a healthy snack for when she wakes up."

Marco nodded.

"Thanks," Mrs. Diaz said before heading down to the kitchen.

The moment Marco set foot into the room he noticed that the girl was safely tucked in Star's bed, wrapped up tightly in Star's bedsheets with an ice-pack resting on her forehead. Star was sitting next to the bed and quietly watching the sleeping girl.

"How is she?" Marco asked, kneeling down next to the bed and looking at the Girl with a pitiful look.

Star let out a long sigh and didn't even bother to hide her worried expression. "Your mom told me she has a fever and is completely exhausted. Other than that, we put some dry clothes on her and managed to get her to swallow some pills. Right now, all she needs is lots of rest." Star turned to face Marco.

Marco placed a comforting hand on Star's shoulder. "Hey," he spoke with softness in his voice, trying to soothe his beloved, "She'll be alright."

Star sighed and turned to face Marco. "How did things with my mom go?"

"I told her everything we saw, and I let her know about this little girl. She didn't seem to mind that we took her to Earth, so I guess she can stay here until she gets better."

Star smiled, a sense of relief momentarily replacing all of her worries. The smile soon turned into a frown as dark thoughts began flooding her mind anew. "I just can't imagine what would've happened if we'd found her too late. She's already in poor shape as it is, a few hours later and-"

"Shhh," Marco interrupted her by placing a finger on her lips. "Don't think about stuff like that, Star. We found her and now she's safe and sound. End of story."

Star looked back at the girl, a soft smile forming on her lips.

"You're right. I should we happy that we saved at least one person, right?" Star hugged her knees and sighed. "I just wish we could have saved more..."

"What happened wasn't our fault."

"I know, but still..." Star trailed off and shook the thoughts out of her head, then glared. "I just hope that whoever is responsible for that massacre gets what's coming to them!" The princess said in a vengeful voice and clenched her fists.

As Marco was about to comment the two teenagers heard footsteps behind them and turned around to see Angie walking into the room, carrying a platter and eying them cutely. "Why don't you kids go downstairs and watch some TV?" she suggested.

Star shook her head. "I can't just leave her alone! What if something happens?"

Angie chuckled and set the platter onto the nightstand next to Star's bed. "It's sweet of you to be worried about her, Star, but all she needs is some peace and quiet. You've done plenty by bringing her here and letting her rest in your bed."

"But-"

"She'll be fine!" Marco's mother emphasised. "I'll check on her regularly and tell you if she needs anything or if she wakes up. Until then the two of you should also take things easy and rest, alright?"

"I suppose you're right," Star sighed and stood up along with Marco. She shot the girl one final worried glance before exiting the room with her boyfriend and heading downstairs to the living room. Star sat down on the left end of the couch while Marco sat down on the right end.

"Hey, before I forget, I wanna ask you something," Marco began, grabbing Star's attention. "Your mother said something weird. 'The Trial is near' or something like that. Would you happen to know what she meant?"

"Trial?" The princess questioned with a crooked eyebrow. "Uh... I _think_ it has something to do with you being the next King or something like that. I don't remember..."

Marco sighed heavily and slumped into the sofa. "Let's just watch some TV." As he reached for the remote, he felt Star tap him on the shoulder. He turned his head to face her and was intrigued to see her staring at him with crossed arms.

"You seem to be forgetting something, Diaz," Star said whilst smirking devilishly at the latino boy. He raised an eyebrow at her and remained silent, waiting for her to conclude her sentence. "Our *ahem* _Couch Policy?_ "

Marco's eyes widened when his brain registered what the princess was implying. His expression of shock then turned into one of amusement. He decided to toy with her for a bit so, instead of answering her question, he started tapping his right index finger on his chin. "Policy? What do you mean?"

Star's eyes narrowed, turning her expression into a playful glare. The princess then got on all fours and began crawling over to him, eying him like a predator eyes its prey. Marco, in turn, slowly crept to the other end of the sofa until his back hit the couch arm and he leant against it. Star was soon at eye level with the boy, their noses practically touching.

They remained thus, Star's gaze locked with Marco's own. "I believe you know exactly what I'm talking about, Marco," She said, then snuggled her head into his chest and sighed blissfully. "You agreed to be my snuggle buddy!"

"Did I? Can't recall..." Marco chuckled and wrapped his free arm around the princess. Star sunk even deeper into his embrace and closed her eyes. The boy kissed his lover on the forehead and snuck a few whiffs of her strawberry-scented hair, then grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.

 _Later that evening_

Star was still fast asleep atop of Marco when the latter's mother came down the stairs and signalled him to wake the princess and head upstairs. The boy did as instructed and nudged his girlfriend numerous times while calling her name. Star awoke with a grumble and a long yawn, irritated that she had to abandon her comfortable position.

"What..." She murmured while rubbing one eye and having the other half open.

"My mom wants us to come upstairs."

Star blinked a few times. Her eyes soon sprang to life as she realised what that probably meant. With a lightning motion, she hoped off the couch and rushed upstairs to her room without even bothering to wait up for Marco. The boy too stood up and made his way to the princess' room. Upon entering through the door, his suspicions were confirmed; The small girl was sitting upright in Star's bed while slowly nibbling on the food from the platter his mother had brought earlier, which was now on the girl's lap.

Angie and Star were both standing next to the bed and watching the girl in complete silence. Not wanting to be the black sheep, Marco took up position next to Star, then looked at his mother. "She's awake," he stated. Angie nodded.

The girl swallowed the last bit of food and turned her head towards the three strangers, who were smiling at her.

"Hi," the blonde girl with hearts on her cheeks greeted her. The woman and the boy soon followed suit. "Are you alright?" The blonde one asked. The girl responded with a single, unsure nod. The blonde girl smiled, and said, "I'm Star. And these are Marco-" the girl pointed at a brown haired boy dressed in an odd red robe. "-and his mother, Angie," she then pointed at a middle-aged woman with equally brown hair and an orange blouse.

The blonde haired one then asked, "What's your name?"

The girl remained silent and frowned sadly, then looked down at the bed sheets.

Mrs. Diaz knelt down next to the bed and gently took the girl's hand, a warm and comforting smile present on her face. "It's alright, sweetie," Angie spoke in the softest voice. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Go ahead, tell us your name."

After a few moments of hesitation, the girl took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"..."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Muahahahaha! Cliffhangers FTW! :P**

 **Anyway, this somewhat differed from the 'Sneak Preview' at the end of 'My Star', but I did change the plot slightly, in order to make it better. The girl's name shall be revealed in the next Chapter! Until then, let's see if anyone can guess it :P! It is in the style of the show (sorta...)**

 **Special message to ElleFreak: Don't you dare tell anyone xD!**

 **Well, feel free to leave a review if you liked what you've read; See you in about 2 weeks!**


	18. Chapter 5, Final Part

**A/N: Happy Easter, guys :)! I've also become a Beta-reader for _Heavybond56's 'The Demon Within'._ I think it's interesting and definitely worth checking out! Without further ado, enjoy this little heartwarming Chapter I've put together ^.^!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Epitaxus: Shit's on fire, yo.**

 **RobLebron: Wow. Your assumption could be more off xD... And no, Toffee is no longer disguised as Sir Buttocks, since they found out he isn't really Shining's servant. And this is an AU set after Season 1, so the events of season 2 never happened.**

 **kylegriggs13: Um, what xD!?**

 **Rock Raider: She wasn't hated; She was just a servant. But I do have some interesting stuff planned out. Heh, you got most of the trial correct.**

 **TheRealCartoonManiac: Well, you'll just have to read and find out!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 5**

 **A Voice in the Cold Wind**

 **Part 3**

 _Mewni, Butterfly Castle, Throne Room_

"This is indeed most troublesome," said Queen Moon Butterfly to one of her advisors, an elderly man clad in prestigious blue Mewman clothing. "And you say that monsters did it?"

He gave her a brisk nod. "I fear so, milady. There were numerous signs lying about, such as footprints and a few carcases, although the latter were outnumbered tenfold by those of the villagers. What's more, it wasn't a mere raid; It was a highly organised and planned out attack."

"What makes you so certain of that, Cornwallis?"

"Our men found the remnants of camps scattered all about the nearby surrounding landscape. They were in concealed spots. Over two dozen have been located thus far, and we believe that's less than half of the total number!"

Queen Moon nodded and turned her head to one of the Mewman patrollers who came back from the expedition to report directly to her. "You've seen the devastation first hand, general. Can you confirm any of this?"

The man, his hands behind his back, nodded. "I'm afraid so, your highness. Military tactics were definitely used in the attack. In fact, we speculate that the said siege tactics were similar to the ones our troops are taught to use."

The Queen fell into thought, rubbing her chin with the palm of her hand. "I've never heard of monster employing such tactics. This is almost unheard of!"

"With all due respect, you Majesty," said Cornwallis, clearing his throat and gaining Moon's attention. The man leant closer, and his next words came out in a subtler voice. "If I recall correctly, there was _one_ instance you know very well of, where monsters proved their tactical ingenuity. In fact, I know of a person, if one could call her that, who'd more than gladly teach them our tactics."

Moon's eyes widened and a worried frown settled on her face. Her expression was almost one of disbelief as if she didn't want to acknowledge the man's words. "You don't mean...?"

The man sighed. His expression turned serious, as did his voice. "Your highness, forgive me for my wording, but think about it; Toffee's sudden return and disappearance, the increasing instability of magic in all the plains of reality-"

 _I must hold another Magic Council meeting and get a report from Comet regarding that,_ Moon mentally noted. (A/N: Read Chapters 1 and 2)

"-Monsters suddenly fighting as an organised force and using our tactics! Who else but **_her_** is capable of such doings?"

"So my sins really are coming back to haunt me..." the Queen murmured. She'd been expecting this day to come, but now that it had, she realised she wasn't ready. To the side, the Captain had no idea what the two were talking about. He jumped as Moon whipped her head and shot him a glare. "I'm sorry, Captain, but-" Queen Moon raised her hand and touched the man's forehead.

Whatever the incantation she whispered was, it caused the soldier to fall unconscious. Moon sighed. _He doesn't need to know about any of this..._

"Guardsmen! It appears that your fellow here has collapsed. Please, take him to the Barracks and see to it that he makes a swift recovery!" The Queen yelled. Two guardsmen then walked over to the man's body and dragged him out of the Throne room.

"Well it looks like your memory manipulation spells are as sharp as ever, my Queen," Cornwallis Chuckled.

"Need I remind you I don't like using them?" Queen Moon protested. "It was for the best. He heard too much. He'll be fine. For now, keep me informed should anything new turn up."

"As you wish, my Queen." With those words, the man bowed and exited the Throne room, leaving Moon alone with her troubled thoughts.

"So, after all these years, she's returned..." Moon smiled grimly. "By the divines, please, let it not be so..."

 _Earth, Diaz Residence_

"Zora" Angie Diaz repeated and received a nod of affirmation from the small girl. "That's a lovely name."

"T-thank you..." the girl said in a tiny voice. She then let her gaze drift across the room. It was big, much bigger than the cramped room she and the rest of the servants had shared. Did it have several stories? Probably, since there was a stairway.

By the looks of it, the room surely belonged to someone of noble blood. This wasn't hard to figure out, given its luxurious internal design and the large bed she was currently lying in. Although, whoever lived here needed a lesson or two about keeping things tidy, since there were clothes and toys just scattered all over the floor. The one thing that stood out the most was a magical mirror hanging on the wall behind two curtains. While she'd never used one and didn't know how they worked, her former master had often used it to communicate with business associates and other dimensional beings. Was she even in the same dimension anymore?

"This is my room," Star said and caught the girl's attention. The young princess sat down on the bed. "Sorry if the bedsheets smell; I haven't really washed them in a while..." To the side, Marco shot her an irritated glare that went unnoticed by either of the three females.

Zora stared at the princess; While she was much older than her, of that there was no doubt, one could hardly say that she was anywhere close to being an adult, which was emphasised by her girlish dress with a pink squid in the centre and the red devil horns on her head. All in all, she looked nice and friendly. Zora then took a better look at the boy standing next to her; His hair was short, brown, and somewhat messy. His red robe was unlike any other she had seen in her life, and his skin was slightly darker than the blonde's. They were about the same age, she judged.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zora spotted her mask resting on the nightstand next to the bed. To her relief, it was undamaged.

"You were wearing it when we found you," Star said, having noticed the girl's look. "Marco's mom took it off while dressing you into some dry clothes."

"Speaking of which," Marco cut in, speaking up for the first time. "What were you doing out there all by yourself?"

A gloom settled itself on her face. "My town was attacked by monsters. I slipped away under the confusion and ran into the forest."

"So you _did_ live there..." Marco said, a worried frown plastered on his face. The girl nodded. Marco thought back on the devastation he and Star had seen, and shook head in disgust, then said whilst looking at the girl, "Did anyone else make it out alive?"

Zora shook her head dejectedly, then said, " I didn't see anyone else, so don't think so. Maybe?"

"What about your parents?" asked Star, knowing very well what to expect. "Were they in the village?"

Again, there was no answer from the girl. She reached for the mask on the nightstand, but the piece of wooden furniture was out of reach for her short arms. Star noticed this and picked up the mask and handed it to the girl.

Instead of putting it on her head, as one would expect, Zora held the object with both hands and tugged it closer to her chest. "No," she said, shortly and firmly. Marco was about to ask something else, when he heard the girl's next sentence, the words coming out in a lifeless and broken voice. Her words left the three speechless and in shock."I've never had parents."

"Never had parents?" Star repeated, her voice a mixture of disbelief and shock. "What do you mean?"

An air of melancholy surrounded the girl. Yet, she smiled. However, this was not a smile of sincerity or joy; Star noticed it instantly. This was the smile of a person who'd just about given up. "I don't remember my parents, at all. The only memories I have are those of living as a slave to that cold-hearted man..."

"Slave?" Marco worded breathlessly. He knew that Mewni and its surrounding Kingdom were comparable to the Middle Ages or maybe the High Renneisance, but slavery? As he continued listening, his mind could comprehend less and less.

"I was his youngest servant. I was basically trapped in his house and forced to do his bidding, no matter what it was. It was either that or starve on the streets. I didn't have any other options..."

"What exactly did he force you to do?" Star asked, expecting the worst, the building rage in her heart almost making her glad that that man was dead along with the rest of the village.

"All sorts of things. Cook for him, clean, _bathe_ him, feed his pets, entertain his guests..." Star's soul came to a temporary respite, relieved that the hadn't forced her into... _other things_. That was, until Zora concluded her story. "Whenever I'd mess something up, he would punish me; Make me go hungry, yell at me, force me to sleep in a cage, beat me..." her words were coming out as shudders and tears were swelling in her eyes, yet she remained steadfast. "I had no one to turn to for help; no mother, no father; The rest of his servants didn't even bat an eye when they saw me lying on the floor, bruised and sometimes even bleeding. It was torment..." Star could hear her voice cracking with each word. "But I figured that it was better than being completely alone. But then, he just kicked me out, and nobody would take me in!" The girl took a deep breath and fell silent.

Star was reluctant to speak up, but she had to know. "What happened after you were kicked out?"

It took the girl several moments to muster up an answer. When she did, both Star and Marco's fears came to a realisation."Monsters. Lots of fire. People burning... I fled into the forest and survived the night. The next day, I felt too exhausted and fell asleep in the middle of a meadow."

"The one we found you in," Marco said, cutting in and connecting the pieces of the story together.

"Everything I've ever known is gone... Now, I really am alone..." Zora could no longer hold back the hot tears in her eyes. She sobbed quietly into the bedsheets.

The mewman princess could feel her heart sinking into a dark pit as tears of her own threatened to fall. She shook her head rapidly and, to Marco's surprise, put on a soft smile and wrapped her arms around the small girl, pulling her into a gentle hug. Zora's crying ceased immediately. For the first time in her life, she was experiencing the warmth of a hug.

"You're not alone, silly. I'm here for you, we all are..." said Star, not fully aware where those words were coming from. The young princess didn't know what exactly was causing these odd feelings to surface and take control of her entire being, but all she wanted to do was comfort the girl and be at her side.

An odd warmth filled the small girl's heart as she melted into Star's caring embrace and sobbed into her chest. For the first time in her life, she had a shoulder to cry on. For the first time in her life, someone treated her as a person. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel abandoned and alone.

Marco smiled crookedly as he watched the display. He felt bad for the girl, but he knew that Star was doing her best to soothe her inner pain. The harshness the girl must've gone through was unimaginable to him, and he was happy that they had found her.

The sobbing soon ceased and the girl broke the hug and wiped some of the tears from her face. "What's going to happen to me? I have nowhere left to go..."

"We'll figure something out. Until then, we'll take care of you! You can stay here with us!" Star turned to face Angie Diaz. "Can she stay here, right, Mrs. Diaz?"

Angie rubbed her chin in thought, then smiled. "Of course she can, Star. I'll tell Rafael to get the other guest room ready and-"

"There's no need for that," said Star, cutting the woman off mid-sentence. Angie didn't quite understand the princess' words, and neither did Marco. The two stared at Star curiously as the princess placed both of her hands on Zora's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. The small girl also bore a curious expression. "If you want to, you can stay in my room, with me!" the princess said cheerfully, taking all three off guard with her words. "There should be more than enough room for the both of us. And I can conjure up another bed if you don't feel like sleeping in the same one."

Zora blinked in disbelief. This felt... almost unreal... like a dream that she'd wake up from, only to find herself back in that dreaded mansion and rubbing her master's feet. "Really?" she managed to utter through her hiccups.

"Really," said Star in the softest yet firmest voice she could muster up, one that was normally reserved for her parents and her boyfriend Marco. "If you don't wanna be alone, then I'm not leaving you alone," the princess added as she drew the girl into another warm hug. "So, do you want to stay with me?"

Reluctantly, Zora wrapped her arms around the princess and closed her tear-stained eyes. "Yes. Please. Thank you..." she murmured.

"Well, that's really kind of you, Star," Angie said with a proud smile on her face. "But it's getting late, and I still want to take her temperature and give her some antibiotics before she goes to sleep again. You and Marco go downstairs and heat up some of the Lasagna I prepared for dinner. You two must be hungry."

"Tell me about it! I can't believe we forgot to have dinner!" Marco exclaimed. "C'mon, Star. My mom will take care of her."

Star turned to face the girl. "You be nice to Mrs. Diaz, alright? I'll be back soon."

"Ok," said the girl, this time, with her first, genuine smile, one that Star gladly returned.

The two teenagers then made their way out of her room. They were halfway down the stairs when Marco spoke, "I didn't know you had such great nurturing skills."

"Neither did I!" Star said as the two entered the kitchen. She sat down at the table, while Marco cut two pieces of Lasagna, placed each one on a plate and put them in the microwave, then set the timer to about 1 minute. "I just, I dunno, _felt_ something and **had** to comfort her! I dunno what came over me!" Star fell silent, then added in a much lower voice, "I also felt, _connected_ to her, but I don't know why..."

"Connected?" Marco repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Star nodded. "Yeah. It's strange, but all I wanted to do was make her feel welcome and stop her crying. I couldn't stand seing her like that..."

Upon hearing a loud *beep* Marco took the two plates out of the microwave and carried the over to the table, then took a chair next to Star, but only after going over to the drawer and grabbing two forks. He handed one to Star, then said, "Well, you did a great job."

"You think so?"

"Yep!"

Star smiled at the remark and ate some of the food. The Earthly cuisine was an oddity; Minced meat encased in several layers of pasta-like sheets. Buy hey, it was tasty, so she wasn't going to complain.

"I just can't imagine what she's been through in the last one or two days," Star murmured. "It must have been living hell for her!"

Marco swallowed some of his food. "I know. A little girl like her, all alone in the middle of the woods-"

"Not to mention the life she's had so far, with some blockhead treating her like garbage!" The Mewman princess said angrily and set down her fork, then sighed.

"What's wrong? Other than, ya know, the obvious..."

"No mother or father to love you and take care of you... That's horrible..." Star locked her gaze with his own, and said, "I was wondering; Can we help her?"

"I think we already have."

"I know that!" Star rolled her eyes. "I meant long term, dummy! Help her have a better life. Help her find a family."

"I don't know..." Marco said. Sadly, he had to admit that he was clueless and hadn't the slightest idea how to answer that question. "But I wouldn't worry about it, yet. She can stay with us for the time being, and we still have to ask her whether she knows or saw anything that could help us figure out who was behind the attack, as your mom told us to."

"You're right," Star sighed. "For now, let's make her feel at home here. We'll worry about finding her a family when the time comes." Star stood up from the table and gave Marco a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm going to go take a shower and then go to bed. Your mom should be done with those antibiotiky thingies or whatever they're called."

"Antibiotics," said Marco. He didn't expect much from Star, but she could have at least learned to correctly pronounce the word. "Yeah, I'm gonna turn in early, too. Just make sure you don't use up all of the hot water this time! I don't want to risk getting hypothermia again!"

Star giggled and narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Alright, I'll be mindful of it. See you in the morning, my sweet prince."

"Goodnight!" Marco said as he watched his girlfriend go up the stairs. "Seriously, what is it with women and hot showers..." he murmured silently.

Just as Star was finished with her shower and came out of the bathroom in her pajamas, she saw Angie Diaz exit her room and close the door. Upon spotting the princess, the woman smiled, and said, "Her fever's gone down, and she's out cold. I left a glass of water on your nightstand, in case she wakes up and is thirsty. Sleep well, alright?"

"Thanks. You too, Mrs. Diaz."

Angie smiled in appreciation and headed downstairs. Star opened the door to her room and, just as she was about to enter, heard a loud scream from the bathroom, along with the words, "Star! Again!? Again with the cold water!?"

The princess giggled; Boy, did she love that dork.

She closed the door behind her and walked over to her bed, where she saw the peaceful face of the slumbering girl.

Star crawled into the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping child, and tucked herself in. Luckily, her bed was big enough for both of them to have plenty of space.

Just as she'd closed her eyes and was ready to fall asleep, she heard a soft whimper from the other side of the bed. Turning her head, she noticed that the girl was tossing and turning in place while making odd, scared noises. What she heard ached her heart. "No... Don't... It was an accident... Don't hurt me, please... Not again... Please..."

Star gently wrapped her arms around the girl and tugged her closer to herself. "Shh... Shh... It's alright. You're safe now. I'll protect you."

The girl's restlessness immediately ceased and she too instinctively drew herself even closer to Star, burying her face in the elder girl's chest and wrapping her arms around her waistline.

Star hummed happily and closed her eyes. Together, they fell asleep.

 _End of Chapter 5!_

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes**

 **Well, all of my Slovenian brethren should understand what her name means since it IS in my native language; The rest of you can just use Google translate :P!**

 **Also, to those of you who still think the woman Moon talked about is Eclipsa, it's not. Again, this is my own Universe, where the events from Season 2 never happened; BTW my Universe is MUCH Darker! Although, I am playing to do a crossover between my universe and the show's canonic universe. Should I do it? Leave your thoughts!**

 **Anyway, please remember to leave a review and a favourite/follow if you've enjoyed the story, and I'll see you guys again in 2 weeks! Bye!**


	19. Chapter 6 Part 1

**A/N: Hi, guys! It's your least favourite writer here to present you with the latest chapter of his overrated story!**

 **Now, before I put you through the ordeal of having to read it, I'd like to say that -as some of you have probably noticed- Zora is heavily Japanese/Anime inspired in both theme and visual design. Her picture, which I drew myself and have posted on my DeviantART, Tumblr and am using it as my fanfiction profile, should make this very obvious since she is wearing a flower-pattern Kimono. I wanted to point this out so that you won't get confused by some of her non-western habits, which you'll read below.**

 **That being said, enjoy the Chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Epitaxus: Impressive, you noticed my word choice ;)**

 **Rock Raider: Yep. It does mean something along the lines of 'Daybreak' or 'Dawn'. You can probably guess why I chose this name. If not, you'll find out eventually. And, unfortunately, I can't answer any questions about Zora's future without spoiling everything, so you'll have to wait and see. And yes, it is the woman from 'My Star' but nobody knows WHO she is (except for me, that is).**

 **NHarem Foreva: Too bad, 'cause I'm doin' it!**

 **RobLebron: Same as with Rock Raider's question, I literally can't say _anything_ about Zora without giving it away! Sry! Other than that, Ludo will make an appearance at the end of this Chapter!**

 **The Batboy: Yep. It'll be a special Chapter I'll do eventually, which won't have any influence on the actual story, kinda like a filler.**

 **kylegriggs13: Um, k...?**

 **DonDonatek: It's a Japanese Festival Cat mask. I drew Zora, so you can see what she and the mask look like :). And I'll take you up on that beer thing :P. Also, thanks for the praise, it's always nice to hear people loving my fanfiction story :D!**

 **Captin Jar: No, she is going to have her head decimated with a Sledgehammer.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **The Girl with the Mask**

 **Part 1**

 _Earth, Echo Creek_

Star Butterfly, energetic magic wielder, heir to the Thone of Mewni, and the current owner of the Butterflies' Royal Magic Wand, awoke to a welcoming and heartwarming sight. Zora, the child she and Marco had found alone and unconscious in the dark forests on the northern borders of Mewni, was snuggled up to her and sleeping soundly, her breaths coming in even intervals and her face beaming with a calm and content bliss.

Somehow, it made Star glad that the girl had accepted her offer to share a bed with her.

Her own little snuggle buddy!

Star looked at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was almost 7AM, meaning that Marco would be coming by any second to wake her so the two could eat breakfast and catch the School Bus.

This time, however, the mischevious princess had other plans...

Right on queue, Marco's alarm clock rang and the boy sprang upright in his bed, yawned lazily, and reached for the alarm, turning it off and hitting the reset button. He moved the covers away from his body and got up from the bed and headed to his and Star's shared bathroom. As usual, there was a surprising lack of magical princess in it, although the traces of her using the room were abundant; Around 99% of the bathroom shelves abundant!

Shaking his head in playful annoyance, the Earth boy made his way down the hallway and to Star's room. He was about to knock but a sudden thought delayed any further actions; There was someone else in there sleeping with Star. _Boy, did **that** sound easily misinterpretable!_

Slowly and carefully did the boy open the door of the said room, then peeked inside. As he was about to call out his bestie's name, a finger atop of his lips made him reconsider. To his surprise, Star was upright and standing before him, making 'shh' noises and pointing at her large bed where Zora now laid, hugging a Lazer Puppy that Star had snuck in place of herself.

Marco understood the message and made way for Star to exit the room, then closed the door.

The moment he turned around, an ever-more-familiar sensation touched his lips and swiftly disappeared. He smiled at the princess and returned the good morning kiss, then mimicked her smile, albeit with a bit of a smug grin.

Wordlessly, still in their pyjamas, the two made their way downstairs, where they knew a warm meal awaited them, along with an even warmer smile from Angie Diaz.

"Morning, mom!" Marco said upon entering the kitchen, waving his hand briskly at his mother.

"Good morning, mrs. Diaz!" Star added, lively as ever, her spirits at an even higher level than usual. They both sat down at the table. Rafael Diaz was still absent but would be returning from his trip the following night.

"Good morning, you two," Angie greeted her two favourite children, placing two plates of freshly made toast with a cliché piece of butter atop of then on the table followed by two glasses of milk to keep their bones strong and durable, lest they sustain injuries during their daily adventures and misadventures.

Marco took a deep whiff of the roasted bread and sighed, earning a raised eyebrow from the mewman princess. "Ahh, nothing beast the smell of freshly made toast in the morning. You're the best, mom!"

"Thank you, Marco," Angie responded with a smile. "So, you both sleep alright?"

"Yeah, I slept fine," Marco casually responded as he chewed on his food.

"And what about you, Star?"

"Actually, I haven't gotten such a good night's rest in a _long_ time!" said the princess, her face beaming. "I guess having a snuggle-buddy helps you relax."

"Snuggle-buddy?" Snickered Marco. Angie, too, looked at her with a half perplexed, half amused expression.

"Yep!" Star exclaimed, then continued in a subtle voice, "Zora looked like she was having a nightmare, so I pulled her closer to myself in hopes of calming her down and, well... She kinda just snuggled up to me, and I didn't have anything against it, so we basically ended up cuddling the entire night." The princess smiled warmly.

"If I were you, I'd be careful with my wording, Star," Angie said and leant against the kitchen counter, smirking mischievously at her son. "You know how jealous Marco gets when it comes to these kinds of things."

"Hardy har har," Marco retorted in a more-than-obviously sarcastic tone and took another bite out of his toast. The two women, or woman and mewoman, dumb as it sounds, laughed at his reaction.

"Is she still asleep?" Angie inquired, looking at Star. The princess nodded.

"Yeah. I didn't wanna wake her up. She needs the rest after everything she's been through..."

"Speaking of which," Angie began, "Have you two told Star's parents yet? I'm sure they'd want to-"

"It was my mom that sent us to Mewni, and Marco already told her about everything we saw," Star explained. "We still have to ask her if she remembers seeing anything else, but I wanna wait for her to rest up and fully recover before we start bombarding her with questions."

"Most of which she probably won't wanna answer," Marco added, fully aware of the trauma the girl must be going through. If it were him, he'd probably break down much harder than Zora had. While he felt pity for her, he couldn't help but admire how strong she was, having managed to not only escape the town as its sole survivor but also get a night's worth of sleep. Well, the latter was probably due to Star, now that he considered it. The princess did possess a remarkable ability; Being able to make people smile even in the grimmest of times. Luckily, she'd used that skill yesterday and it seemed to be paying off. For the moment, at least.

Marco's mother nodded in understanding and looked at the clock, widening her eyes. "Oh no! I'm gonna be late!" The two teenagers stared curiously at the woman as she ran up the flight of stairs and came down moments wearing a plain white T-Shirt with a group of animals surrounded by a red circle printed on it, the words 'Stop the path or face the wrath!' written underneath. She was also wearing what looked like a fake pair of deer antlers on her head.

Marco and Star exchanged a curious glance, and the former asked, "Um, mom, what exactly is it that you are doing?"

As she headed for the door, Angie spoke, "The mayor wants to shut down Echo Creek's animal preserve to make room to continue construction of some new road. But we won't stand for it!"

"We?"

"Yes, we; The Echo Creek Society for Animal Habitat Preservation! I'm going to the preserve with the rest of the members and we'll stop them for bulldozing it down!"

Star looked at Marco curiously and asked. "Um, Marco, what's an Animal Preserve?"

"It's a place where animals can live in peace without being worried about hunters," Marco explained.

"Why is that a thing? What's the point of having animals if you can't hunt them?" Star argued, showing traces of her father's persona being well and alive in her own mind, the King of Mewni being a well-versed and proficient hunter. Much to Moon's distaste, their daughter always was more from his side of the family...

"I'll respect your opinion, Star," Angie said. "But on Earth, we respect the lives of all animals, or most of us do, so this is a big deal for us," finishing her sentence, Angie opened the door, but, as she was about to step outside, hesitated and turned to face Star and Marco. "I'll be gone most of the day, so I won't be able to keep an eye on the girl. "

"That's ok." Star smiled. "I'll just stay home and keep her company."

"Star!" Marco exclaimed, seeming displeased with the girl's statement, as his frown and crossed arms indicated. "That would mean skipping school, which is _not_ ok!"

"Relax, Marco," The princess casually shrugged it off and waved her wand through the air, summoning her cell phone. The princess opened it and sent a quick text to someone. A response came mere moments later, and she smiled after reading it. "There, all taken care of! They'll never know I'm gone!"

Marco raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"You'll see," Star responded, a mischevious smirk on her face. Marco sighed.

As Marco was prepared to protest anew, it dawned on him; With Star staying home for the day he'd have an opportunity to start practising magic with the help of the appendix Comet gave him before she departed from Earth. He wanted to do it discretely, remembering Comet's words about magic users tending to be rather sensitive towards the subject of non-magic users practising spells. "Alright," he grumbled, "I guess someone _does_ have to stay home and keep an eye on her..."

"Good, now that that's settled, I'll see you kids tonight," said Angie. "Since I didn't have much time to prepare anything for today, I left some money on the fridge so you can order a pizza or something like that for dinner. Well, bye, kids! Wish me luck!"

"Good luck, mom."

"Good luck, Mrs. Diaz."

The two teenagers spoke simultaneously, waving the woman off. When Angie was out of the house, the door behind her closed shut. Marco stood up from the table. He turned to Star. "I've gotta get dressed; Can't exactly go to school in my PJs," he chuckled. Star, too, let out a giggle as she watched her boyfriend head up the stairs, most likely to the bathroom. He never, _n_ _ever_ skipped freshening himself up and brushing his teeth before continuing with the day's tasks. Normally, Star would join him and they'd brush their teeth in unison, then he would complain about how much shelf-space her belonging take up, stating that she'd 'conquered' the bathroom. In her defence, she was kind enough to leave an entire shelf free for him to use. Although, she did occasionally store some of her stuff on it as well. Hey, it's not easy looking cute on a daily basis without putting effort into it, and that effort happened to involve a boatload of earthly make-you-look-better doohickies!

The princess, having finished her toast, drank the glass of milk and even gulped down Marco's glass, the boy having either forgotten to drink it or wasn't up for it; Hey, more delicious milk for her! She stood up from the table and placed the dirty dishes into the sink for Marco to wash them later and followed the boy upstairs.

Upon arriving at the top of the stairs, she spotted a familiar figure standing in front of the open door of her room, dressed in her flower-patterned dress and tiredly rubbing one eye and adjusting the other to the sunlight that shone through the window at the end of the hallway. Zora yawned loudly and mustered up a thin, shy smiled upon seeing Star. The princess couldn't resist the urge to return the grin and walked over to the girl, then knelt down so she was eye-level with her.

The moment of bliss ended swiftly as the smaller girl's grin vanished, replaced by a saddened look.

 _She's still hurt_ , thought Star, frowning. The princess opened her arms, inviting the girl to a tender embrace. Zora accepted the offer and hugged Star tightly. "Are you ok?" Star asked caringly. It was obvious that the girl would need time to fully recover from the nightmare she'd been through. Star couldn't expect her to be cheerful just yet.

"I dunno..." the girl sighed, breaking the hug and looking at the floor. "Better, maybe..."

"That's good. Just take all the time you need and try not to think about the last few days." Star put on a smile, not wanting the gloom to settle in this early in the morning, and said, "Was my bed comfortable enough?"

"Mmm-hmm!" Zora beamed, her frown vanishing once more as a light blush settled on her face. Her next words came out very humbly, "Thank you for allowing me to stay with you."

"Meh, don't worry about it. It was nice," Star stated, and shrugged. "Anyway, I'll be staying with you today and making sure you're alright. Thankfully Mr. Stickler-"

" _I heard that!_ " sounded Marco's voice from the bathroom; Star rolled her eyes in return and looked back at Zora, who was staring at her curiously. "As I was saying," the princess picked up from before the interruption, "Marco allowed me to stay home with you for the day, since Mrs. Diaz is busy with something else. So, I guess you're stuck with me for the day!" Star said the last bit jokingly, causing Zora to let out a small giggle.

The girl's stomach had a similar idea, only it didn't exactly giggle. Zora blushed and held a hand to her stomach, resulting in a sly smile from Star, who asked, "Hungry?" Zora nodded. "Alright," the princess stood up and turned around, now facing the stairs, "Just follow me to the kitchen and I'll make you something to eat!" Star said confidently. Hey, she was a strong, independent warrior princess, how hard could it be to prepare **one** measly breakfast, right?

 _Time skip_

After putting out the fire in the kitchen and forbidding Star to touch the stove until under strict supervision, Marco ran upstairs and grabbed Comet's -now his- appendix and put it into his backpack, then raced outside to catch the bus. Once he was on the vehicle and it drove off, he noticed something or rather _someone_ odd sitting in Star's seat. He sighed and slapped his forehead, then took his seat next to the girl wearing a makeshift Star Butterfly outfit.

"Hi, Marco!" Starfan13 greeted him, practically shivering from the excitement of getting to substitute her idol and hero, Princess Star Butterfly, in school for the rest of the day.

"Hi, um, Starfan13," Marco awkwardly greeted back, unsure whether this was even her legal name. Seriously, what kind of parent would give their child the name 'Starfan13'? And why?

Instead of breaking his head over such trivial nonsense, Marco decided to get some confirmation from the (creepy) girl. "So, I take it you're the one Star called earlier today?" he inquired and received around 10 excited nods in return.

"Yep! Can you believe it!?" Starfan13 said, quite loudly. "Star asked _**me**_ to replace her for the day!" she squealed.

Marco sighed and gave her a stern look. "Just... Try not to draw too much attention and- Wait a minute," he cut himself short and pointed a finger at her and raised an eyebrow, then asked, "If you're subbing in for Star, who's subbing in for you?"

"Oh, pfff, _that!_ " she brushed the air in front of her in a jolly fashion, then said, "The school guidance counsellor says I'm special, so I have lots of privileges and don't have to worry about attendance. Isn't it awesome!?"

Marco sunk into his seat and smiled awkwardly. "Yep, I can definitely see why she thinks you're special, hehe..." he said.

The rest of the drive went by in silence and the bus stopped before the school. Marco walked to class with Starfan13, with the mindset to get things over with and, as soon as school ended, delve into the world of the Arcane for the first time in his life.

 _Meanwhile_

To Star's surprise -and relief- Zora knew how to prepare her own meals, despite being unfamiliar with the contents of the refrigerator and shelves. She even knew how to use the stove Star had fixed with a bit of magical know-how! When asked about it, Zora shrugged and said that it wasn't very difficult to figure out how to work the appliance. Star wondered what other skills the girl had obtained during her years of servitude.

Presently, the girl was finishing her bowl of white rice with some odd sauce consisting of numerous spices she'd retrieved from the upper and lower shelves of the kitchen. Zora's sitting position was an oddity to Star; She was kneeling on the chair, folding her legs underneath her thighs, and resting her buttocks on her heels. Before Marco left, he'd had said that it was called 'Seiza' on Earth, whatever that meant.

Regardless, she finished her breakfast and murmured something under her breath, then closed her eyes and stood up with a slight nod of her head, then hopped off the chair and landed on the floor with a light 'thud'.

Zora let out a tiny burp and blushed. "Excuse me..."

Star, now dressed in her standard sea-green dress with a pink squid on the front, purple crocodile boots and a devil hairband on her head, chuckled and looked at the clock, then az Zora, and spoke, "Well, we've got the entire day to ourselves, so, if you're feeling up for it, I could tell you some things you need to know about Earth."

"Earth?" Zora arched an eyebrow at the somewhat familiar word. She'd heard it once, or maybe twice, and she knew it was another dimension, but that's about where her knowledge of the term ended. Curiously, she asked, "What's Earth? Is it the dimension we're in?"

"Yep!"

"Oh..." Zora muttered, unsure what to make of the whole situation. She'd heard of other dimensions existing outside of her own but never had the chance to visit any of them. Her own dimension was pretty cruel and the people there were mean -or at least the town she'd lived in was- which made her wonder, "Is Earth a nice dimension?"

A huge, excited grin appeared on Star's face as a sudden idea popped up in her head. "Well..." the princess began, reaching into her pocket, "You see-" Star took out her pair od dimensional scissors and opened a portal to her room. She walked through, beckoning Zora to follow her; Hey, why walk all the way up the staircase when you can take a shortcut, right?

Curiously, the girl obeyed. Once both were safely through the rift, Star closed the portal and walked over to her closet. She opened the door and went inside, then came back out moments later holding a huge book, the words 'Star's Photo Album' written on it in large, bold letters decorated with hearts. Star walked over to her bed and hopped onto it, bouncing a couple of times on the mattress, then placed the book on it. Zora climbed onto the bed and joined the young princess, keeping a respectful distance. Star smiled at her and tapped a spot on the bed next to her. Reluctantly, and understanding the message, Zora crawled over to the teen and made herself comfortable.

Zora looked at Star curiously. The princess smiled, opened the photo album, and sang, " _I think Earth is a pretty gre-at place."_

The first picture in the album was of her first day on Earth, taken shortly after her parents had dropped her off. Moon and River were eying their daughter angrily while she kept casting random spells near the school grounds. Zora's eyes widened as she recognised the royal trio; The ruling family of the Kingdom of Mewni! No wonder the blonde girl had seemed so familiar!

"You're **the** Star Butterfly!" Zora exclaimed in sheer bewonderment, and Star smiled. The princess turned the page of her photo album, revealing dozens of pictures and photos on it.

" _That's saying something, 'cause I've been through outer space."_ As she sang, her hand wandered over to a picture of herself riding on Princess Pony Head as she and the bodyless Unicorn, surrounded by a pink oxygen bubble, flew past a space-shuttle. Though the windows on the aircraft, an astronaut was staring at the two in disbelief, confused beyond all belief, no doubt.

" _I think it suits me, it's just my style._ _I think I'm gonna stay a little while._ " She pointed at another picture. This one depicted herself being pushed on a swing by Marco and using her wand to gain even more altitude. The picture that followed showed Marco lying on the ground after having been hit by the force of the swing while Star kept enjoying herself.

Star motioned for Zora to continue flipping the pages. The girl did as she was instructed and saw numerous pictures of Star together with different people on each one. Young, old, boy, girl; It didn't seem to matter to the princess, for she was smiling in each and every picture, as was the person she took the picture with. " _I think that strangers are just friends you haven't met._ "

Star flipped over to the next page that had a picture of herself and Marco smiling at the camera whilst beating up Ludo and his minions. Zora stared at it with wide eyes. " _I'm blasting monsters and I never break a sweat._

Finally, they reached the final page of the photo album. On it was nothing less than a huge front-shot of the Diaz' house with every one of Star's friends surrounding her and Marco, who were in the centre, and smiling cheerfully at the camera. As Star slowly closed the photo album, she sang the last verse of her song with tender care, " _I'm glad to call this place my home!_ "

"Wow..." Zora sharply inhaled. Her mind was having trouble processing this new information. Not only did this dimension seem to be much nicer than the one she'd 'grown up' in, but she was also now living in the same room with a princess who was actually kind-hearted and nice? This _**had**_ to be a dream, right?

"Is something wrong?" asked Star worriedly after seeing Zora space out for over two full minutes.

The small girl looked at the princess and smiled sweetly. "No, I, just- This just doesn't seem real and-"

"Well, it **is** real!" Star said confidently and smiled.

Zora stared at her own lap with a coy smirk crossing her face. _Maybe things are finally looking up for me?_

She looked up at Star, locking her gaze with the princess', and said, "Can you tell me more about yourself and about Earth?"

"Gladly!" Star exclaimed and got herself lost in an energetic rant, with Zora carefully listening to every word.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Alright, this turned out way lighter than I'd wanted it to. And a musical number, really, Brain, really... *sigh* And I ask myself why I'm still single...**

 **Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this Chapter! As always, remember to leave a favourite and a review if you deemed my story worthy enough, and I'll see you guys next time!**

 **Expected update: In 2 weeks!**

 **Next time: As Marco practices his magic and discovers something unique about himself, Star and Zora are faced with a dire situation.**


	20. Chapter 6 Part 2

**A/N: Alright, someone wants to know my top pairings so I'll post my top 10 here based on my personal rankings, along with the corresponding shows in case you want to check them out:**

 **1\. Holo x Kraft Lawrence (Spice & Wolf) **

**2\. Louise de La** **Vallière x Hiraga Saito (The Familiar of Zero) -Contains hints of adult themes, but should be safe for all ages-**

 **3.** **Lelouch vi Britannia x C.C. (Code Geass) -** **Not suitable for anyone under the age of 13-**

 **4.** **Marco Diaz x Star Butterfly (Star vs. The Forces of Evil)**

 **5.** **Edward Elric x Winry Rockbell (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) -Watch it-**

 **6.** **Gasai Yuno x Amano Yukiteru (Mirai Nikki/Future Diary) -** **Not suitable for anyone under the age of 13** **-**

 **7.** **Nick Wilde x Judy Hopps (Zootopia) -Best Disney animated movie in a long while-**

 **8.** **Taiga Aisaka x Ryuuji Takasu (Toradora!)**

 **9\. Phineas Flynn x Isabella Garcia-Shapiro (Phineas and Ferb)**

 **10\. Dr. Drakken x Shego (Kim Possible)**

 **Honourable mentions:**

 **Tomoya Okazaki x Nagisa Furukawa (Clannad After Story) -The only show that brought me to tears-**

 **Riza Hawkeye x Roy Mustang (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)**

 **Akane Tsunemori x Shinya Kogami (Psycho-Pass) -Not suitable for anyone under the age of 16-**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RedHood001: My story is set straight after the events of Season 1 and has nothing to do with season 2. It has my own main antagonists, characters, protagonists, storyline, etc.**

 **Rock Raider: Comet will be appearing soon ^^. As for the rest of your questions, well, read and find out ^^**

 **Epitaxus: Thanks!**

 **RobLerbron: Actually, he will appear in person. The photo book was just something I thought of on the spot.**

 **Guest Sorta: Old? Is 20 considered old nowadays? Derp... Anyway, I'm a bit of a nerdy guy and a hopeless romantic, and I doubt many girls are interested in such types. From my experience, they more or less go for the tough and cool guys, which I'm not (Although I doubt any of those guys would survive 10 seconds in a Mosh-Pit...)**

 **matthewshurts: I hate rushed romances. Like, despise them (which is the main reason I badmouthed 'Bon Bon The Birthday Clown'). It just makes the relationship feel fake and forced and soooooo fucking pathetic... I'm a bit of an idealist when it comes to romance and Starco already has that perfect natural chemistry that's ridiculously easy to work with. And thanks! Her initial name was Dawn but I wanted it to be something more unique and, thankfully, my language had the perfect word ^^!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **The Girl with the Mask**

 **Part 2**

The final bell rung, signalling to end of the educational day for the students of Echo Creek Academy. For Marco Diaz this merely meant the beginning of a different, unfamiliar kind of education as he rushed behind the school building to more a or less secluded area other students rarely visited. _The perfect spot to practise some magic!_ he thought.

Carrying the book with him in his backpack, the latino cut corners and made extra sure that nobody was following him. The issue wasn't being seen practising spells, given that the entire town knew about his union with the Mewman princess and the inhabitants of Echo Creek were well aware of the existence of magic, he just wanted to do it in private so he could better focus on the complex task before him and not feel as nervous as he normally would.

"Perfect!" He said upon arriving at his destination. It was a small patch of land located behind the school building and surrounded by trees from all sides but one. As long as he didn't make much ruckus, nobody will even know that he was here. And it's not like he was about to go ahead and practise any dangerous of massive spells. He presumed that spellcasting was like maths; You start off with the basics and slowly but gradually work your way towards the advanced stuff. As least, he hoped it worked that way.

Marco took his backpack off his shoulders and set it onto the ground. He opened it and took out the small appendix filled with runic writing that had automatically been translated into Spanish once Comet had given it to him. He would have preferred an English translation but, thankfully, he knew how to speak and write both languages, so this would be no obstacle.

"Alright," the boy murmured to himself as he opened the book and looked at the table of contents. He ran his finger across the page and stopped somewhere in the middle of the page "Magic and you: The basics of Magic," he read aloud and turned five pages forward to the appropriate page, and read, "Magic is a term used to describe occurrences that are connected to the tapping of magical essence from the seven plains of reality that exist within the Universe and using the extracted energy to give shape to spells."

Marco turned to the next page. "There are several forms of magic, but we magic users have grouped them into two categories for the sake of convenience. Good Magic or Light Magic and Bad Magic or Dark Magic, the latter of which is considered to be the more powerful and dangerous one and should never be used, for it can bring forth instability and cause the plains of reality to collide with one another, thereby risking mass destruction and devastation. This power is a consequence of the fact that Dark Magic derives its power from the 8th or 'non-existent' plain of reality, which is a theoretical dimension consisting of..."

After Marco had read through the introductory Chapters that mostly dealt with the origins of magic, the basic elements of magic and the history of magic, he finally got to the part he'd been anxiously awaiting. "The Basics of Spellcasting," he read. "Spellcasting is the practice of using magical energy to make physical manifestations of one's imagination. With the right attitude, knowledge, and experience, one could, theoretically, bring shape to anything and everything. That is, of course, only in theory, for the casting of spells takes a great toll on the spellcaster and can be lethal when done incorrectly or if the user tries to manifest something that is beyond their level of power. In short; We are limited by our minds and bodies."

Reading this made Marco wonder; Just how strong was Star? From what he'd heard, she'd created a giant flaming rainbow that destroyed a good portion of Mewni on her very first attempt, plus she could cast numerous spells without breaking a sweat. An explanation came in the next paragraph. "To allow sorcerers to partially ignore those limits and allow the casting of spells that would normally be impossible for mortals, there exist special magically infused objects. Each is embedded with a magical shard that can withstand an immense strain without bearing any consequences, thereby allowing the wielders to extract and channel an enormous amount of energy that would undoubtedly kill them under normal circumstances."

Marco frowned. Does this mean that he would never be able to cast anything nearly as powerful as other users? How would he protect Star if he was limited by the strength of his own frail human body?

"However, these objects do not allow the users to be careless. While they -greatly- diminish the strain on their bodies, they do not dissolve it entirely. They are merely objects which serve as a shortcut to actual spellcasting but do not allow the disregarding of its fundamental principles; These include knowledge of the actual spell and using the corresponding technique to cast it, not to mention channelling the right kind of energy."

 _That explains why Star has to practice those moves all the time..._

"In short; Even an Unarmed sorcerer can match the strength of a staff or wand wielder with relative ease, provided he has enough training and experience."

"How relative?" Marco wondered aloud. He turned to the next page and widened his eyes at the wall of text before him. He slapped himself on the forehead and groaned. "This is gonna be a long day..."

 _Meanwhile_

"Oh, then there was this one time when I accidentally made Marco's head sprout a pair of giant Butterfly wings!" Star exclaimed as she took out her cellphone. "I even have a picture of it, see?" She pointed the mobile device toward Zora. The girl was fascinated by two things; The first was the small device that somehow allowed, as Star had told her, two people to create contact with one another over vast distances and capture paintings or _images_ of anything in the blink of an eye; something that many an artist would die to have. The second was the red-robed boy's face with two giant wings on each side.

This was indeed a strange dimension.

Zora let out a genuine laugh before looking at Star. "Was he mad at you?"

Star waved her hand dismissively while making a 'pffft' sound with her lips. "Nah. Marco's gotten used to it by now. Everyone in town pretty much has."

"Do they know you're a princess?"

"Oh, of course. They just don't seem to care as much as one would expect..." Star shrugged casually her own statement before looking at Zora with slight a withdrawn smile. "Anyway, I think that's enough about me. Why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

"There's... not much to tell, really..." sighed Zora and let her cheerful expression drop. "What you heard yesterday was pretty much it. I was brought up as a servant and didn't do much else-"

"No. What I mean is I want you to tell me something about yourself, not your life. Like, ya know, your favourite colour, your favourite food, things you like, that kind of stuff."

"Oh..." Zora fell silent as she pondered Star's words, then said, "Um, green? Yeah, green's a good colour, I think. No! Wait! I meant brown! Or red? Yeah, definitely red! Or maybe green after all? What about-"

Star laughed at the girl's frantic way of speech and placed a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention. "Relax, you don't have to decide if you're not sure. There's no pressure."

"Then why are you asking me these questions?" Zora arched an eyebrow at the princess. What was the point of asking questions if the answer didn't matter?

"Because I want to get to know you better," Star replied, short and sweet, to which Zora blinked. "Since you're gonna be staying with us, I figured it would be a good thing to do so the two of us could get along even better!"

"Oh. I guess that makes sense..."

"So go ahead, just tell me... whatever you'd like to tell me. And don't worry, I won't judge," Star said, adding a giggle to the last bit. Her words seemed to have hit their mark, for Zora smiled and nodded. Maybe it was because of her young age that she didn't know how to communicate, or maybe it was the result of years spent in confinement, which made Star wonder. "By the way, I forgot to ask; How old are you?"

"Well, I _think_ I'm around 6 or 7 years old?" Zora responded. "I don't really know. Nobody's ever bothered telling me. I just read it on some ownership papers my former master had stored away in some fancy drawer."

"So you can read?"

Zora shook her head. "No. Just numbers. Nobody ever taught me how to read actual words and I wasn't allowed to touch the master's books."

"Urgh, the lucky ones..." Star said while slumping her shoulders as some not-so-fond memories of being practically forced to study mewman law and tradition surfaced. The young princess swiftly chased away the small gloom with a smile directed at Zora. "Well, if you're interested, I could teach you how to read Mewman, and I'm sure that Marco will be more than happy to teach you all about Earth's writing."

"Is it different from our dimension's writing?"

"Yep. Took me a good month to figure out how to make sense of those scribbles, but it's not that hard once you've got the hang of it."

"Then how come we speak the same language?"

"That's..." Star paused and rubbed her chin in thought. "Huh, you're right," Star said as she came to a sudden realisation. "Come to think of it, how come every dimension I've ever visited has the same language? What's up with that?"

The two giggled at the obscurity. Star then looked at the clock, then at Zora, and said, "Wow, time sure flies when you're talking to someone. It's already lunch time. Are you hungry?"

Zora shrugged. "A little."

"Alright then," said Star, standing up. "Mrs. Diaz left us some money to order a Pizza, or would you prefer to eat something else?" Zora stared at the princess awkwardly for a few moments. A blush crept onto Star's cheeks upon realising the foolishness of her question. "Oh, right, you've never had pizza..." she said awkwardly, then chuckled. "I'll just order mine and Marco's favourite one, and we can always order something else if you don't like it, alright?" Zora smiled and nodded. "Great! The number's downstairs on the fridge, so I'll be right back."

"Ok." Zora watched the princess dash out of the room with a smile on her face. _I think I'm going to like it here._

 _Meanwhile_

Marco let out a tired sigh as he finished the final page of the introductory chapters and was ready to move on to the actual learning of spells.

"Ok then, let's see," he began. "To simplify and hasten the process of spellcasting, it is mandatory for each and every spellbook in existence to come with a magical instructor. To summon him, simply stand on one leg and stick your tongue out while hopping in place and fluttering your arms like a bird."

Marco sat the book onto the ground did as instructed. After a full minute of performing the odd ritual and a surprising lack of a magical instructor, he picked the book up and turned to the next page. "Wow. I wasn't expecting you to actually do it. Made you feel stupid, didn't I?"

 _Yep, she's definitely Star's cousin, alright..._

"In all seriousness, tap the cover of the book twice and throw it into the sky. That should to the trick."

After following the actual summoning ritual, Marco was astounded to see the book hovering mid-air as the pages turned rapidly and a blinding purple glow surrounded the book, forcing Marco to look away. Once it had subsided, Marco opened his eyes and before him saw none other than Cosmos, Comet's familiar. The small wolf floated over to Marco and handed him a note he was carrying in his muzzle.

Marco unrolled the piece of paper and from it read, "Marco Diaz of Earth. If you're reading this, then it means that you've successfully performed the summoning ritual after standing on one leg and looking like a complete bimbo (Don't lie; You did, didn't you?). Regardless, you may have noticed that my precious Cosmos is going to be your instructor. Please take note that his time with you is limited because I need him by my side, and I couldn't trust any other magical being with the task of teaching you the ropes. Now, you're probably wondering something along the lines of 'How's a small wolf going to teach me anything?'. Put simply, as I've mentioned during my visit, Cosmos is very smart and powerful, so I entrust him to make short work of your introductory training. As for communication, just touch his forehead with the palm of your hand and be amazed. Signed, Comet."

Marco stared at the diminutive blue-striped wolf before extending a palm toward him and touching his forehead. Marco then waited one minute... two minutes... three minutes...

"Um, is something supposed to happen or...?" Marco trailed off, slowly beginning to suspect that this too had been some form a ploy from Comet.

 _Not really. But I'd appreciate it if you took your hand off my forehead. You have sweaty palms._

Marco sprang at hearing the silky masculine voice and looked at the tiny hound before him, who was wiggling his tail.

"Wait, so you _can_ talk?" said Marco, removing his hand

 _Telepathy, Marco, telepathy,_ echoed the voice for the second time. _I see I have a lot to teach you! What fun!_

The feeling of having someone intrude into his thoughts felt plain weird to Marco. And he was engaged to a princess from another dimension, so 'weird' was a term he rarely -if ever- used!

"Can you read my mind!?" Marco yelled.

 _No. I can only communicate with you through a mental link I've let you establish, like I do with Master, although we never use it. She's learned to read me without the need of such silly methods._

"Alright. So, if I understood correctly, you'll teach me how to use magic, right?"

 _Indeed. Master has instructed me to supervise you during your first training and make sure you don't end up killing yourself. Once you've got the hang of things, I won't be available anymore due to some... **pressing** matters Master and I must attend to, so you'll be left to study on your own, unfortunately. Luckily for you, Master's book is very detailed and beginner-friendly, so you shouldn't encounter any issues. _

"Uh... ok..." Marco picked the book up from the ground and looked at Cosmos. "Well, I'm ready to start whenever you are, uh, Sensei!" said Marco, the habits of his karate classes coming to surface.

 _Alright then. Now, from what I've heard Master tell me, you wish to focus primarily on defensive spells which will allow you to shield your beloved, correct?_

A blush crept onto Marco's face. "Uh, yeah..."

 _Good. Luckily for you, Defensive spells are the relatively easy channel, unlike Illusion or Destruction, for example, and draw power from your will and resolve, consequently putting the least amount of strain on your body._

"That's great!" said Marco excitedly. He was well aware that he'd never match up to the strength of a monster or a Mewman, so knowing he wasn't limited solely by his physicalities was a welcome sign.

 _You're enthusiastic, I like that! Now, let us begin by performing the simplest defensive spell; A basic barrier spell that can be directed at any target of your choice. Let go of the book, please._

Marco obeyed the small wolf and loosed his grip on the appendix. Instead of falling to the ground, it hovered over to Cosmos. The magical being barked once before putting his paw on the book and opening it, then cycling through the pages.

 _Ah, here it is!_ Cosmos turned the book toward Marco, who looked at the drawings on the page that depicted a figure performing a series of moves. The final one portrayed the figure surrounded by a blue circle, presumably a shield.

 _Alright, it's very simple; Perform those moves in the correct order and envision the spell you wish to cast. Try it._

Marco nodded, and took a deep breath. "Ok, here we go," He murmured and performed a series of kicks and arm movements, then finished by clasping both hands together above his head. After a moment of delay, the area around him exploded in a puff of blue smoke, leaving his coughing and gasping for air. Cosmos barked twice and the smoke disappeared entirely.

 _And that's what happens when you don't focus solely on the magic,_ Cosmos scolded the boy who still busy coughing his lungs out. _Still, you performed the moves gracefully and in the right order, so it's highly unusual for a spell to backfire to such an extent..._

Cosmos took the book in paw and flipped a few pages forward. _Let's try something even simpler, a 3-move spell for creating a common shield._ Cosmos turned the book toward Marco once more. _Be sure to focus this time, alright?_

"I was focusing, but I'll try..." Marco murmured and studied the three poses carefully, then took performed them in order and threw his right hand up into the sky, only to have a small puff of smoke escape his hand. The boy sighed. "Well, at least it wasn't as much as before..."

 _Hmm... This is... Strange..._ Cosmos narrowed his eyes in thought. _Your moves were spot-on, and this spell requires minimal focus and energy to cast... How about I try channelling the energy for you? Try again._

Marco did as instructed. Same result.

 _Something definitely went amiss. Try again._

After the 3rd unsuccessful attempt, Marco groaned out of sheer frustration. "Why isn't this working!?"

 _Remain calm!_ Cosmos told him through his thoughts while making a calming motion with his paws.

"Remain calm? How can I remain calm when I can't even do the simplest spell?"

 _This is unusual and frustrating, I agree, but you must be patient and give me a minute to figure out what's wrong!_

Marco sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry, but I just wanna grasp this stuff as soon as possible so I can better protect the people close to me again some magical threat! I mean, it's not like I can friggin do a bunch of karate moves-" to emphasise his words, Marco began chopping and kicking the air before him, "-and do this-" He then performed a few moves similar to the first ones he'd seen in the book, "-and hope to accomplish anything against an actual threat!"

 _Um..._

"What?" Marco said irritably, his eyebrow raised. It took his brain a moment to register that he was surrounded by a transparent blue barrier. "Huh?" The boy asked, both astounded and confused, his hot temper gone.

Cosmos, too, was taken aback by what he'd just seen. _Try doing what you just did with the second spell I showed you._

Marco, hesitantly, performed a few karate kicks while incorporating the spell-poses into his moves. After he was done, a small, round shield manifested itself on his right arm. He looked at Cosmos, the small wolf completely baffled and staring at Marco with wide eyes.

 _This... I..._ Cosmos tapped his chin with one paw. _Interesting. For whatever reason, your 'karate' or whatever it's called helps you channel magical energy._

"Is this a bad thing?"

 _No._ _I've heard of magic users utilising their own techniques to cast spells but have never seen it. Until now, that is._ Cosmos handed Marco the open book. _I'd like to see more. Please, perform a few more spells._

Marco smiled and nodded. Maybe this wasn't going to be so hard after all?

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Well, that's the Chapter! I'm still planning on drawing Cosmos but I just find the time. Meh, I'll do it eventually. Also, remember that Cosmos is only small and young in appearance but is 486 years old (I believe it's mentioned in one of the first few chapters, not sure).**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the Chapter! As always, feel free to leave a favourite and a review. I'll see you guys next time! Bye!**

 **Expected update: In 2 weeks.**


	21. Chapter 6 Part 3

**A/N: I'm feeling a bit Melancholic right now since I had to say goodbye to _yet another_ part of my childhood; Samurai Jack. With the 5th and final season being over and the masterpiece finally having a conclusion (A damn good one, although a bit rushed) I can only say thank you to ****_Genndy Tartakovsky_ for giving me all of these wonderful memories and giving us original fans (From WAAAAY back when the show first started airing on Cartoon Network) the conclusion we were all impatiently waiting to see.**

 **Also, I'm SERIOUSLY concerned after watching the Season 3 SVTFOE movie trailer. Why? Because it may actually end up being VERY VERY similar to the plot I have written! It obviously won't be the exact same but the spell that -presumably- young Moon Butterfly chanted is somewhat along the lines of what she did in my Universe (but that's probably me being paranoid... I hope...)**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **EAurelian: Same. I've yet to find a couple as perfect as Holo and Lawrence. I've recently ordered the first three Spice &Wolf novels and am impatiently waiting for them to arrive! And the Anime is definitely one of the most underrated and underappreciated works; People don't understand that the purpose of it wasn't to show action or some big adventure but to explore the world and the growing relationship between Holo and Lawrence. (Still hoping for a Season 3!)**

 **RobLebron: Um... what? Who exactly is Nova and have you not read the previous Chapters? Zora is from the Dimension of Mewni but was a servant/slave in a Kingdom outside of the Mewman Kingdom. I toyed a bit and made Mewni a Kingdom within the Dimension of Mewni.**

 **Guest Sorta: No, but I'm just not that interesting of a person. I mean, my definition of a good time is reading a book or working on my novel, or just sitting/walking and talking with my friends, whereas the majority of the girls (and dudes) I've met at my University literally can't wait to go to a party and get drunk, then jump around and behave like a bunch of monkeys... Alright, that sounded stuck-up from me but it's not far from the truth.**

 **Rock Raider: There's a very special reason he's so proficient in magic :P. Oh, thanks!**

 **RedHood001: Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I just needed someone to play the role of the temporary instructor and didn't wanna make another character, so I just used Cosmos. Btw if you wonder how he sounds like, imagine something along the lines of Professor Charles Francis Xavier from the X-Men.**

 **Captin jar: I prefer the term Combat Mage.**

 **Epitaxus: *Laughs evilly* Can't wait for you to get to the end of this Chapter ;)!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **The Girl with the Mask**

 **Part 3**

"My Queen, I plead you to reconsider!" One of Moon's personal advisors said to her. "There are surely other ways than starting a war!"

"I'm not starting a war!" Moon exclaimed from high up on her throne. "I just want our armies to begin mobilising and enter high-alert mode and scout the borders for any monster activity. The last thing Mewni needs right now is pointless conflict."

"What will the neighbouring Kingdom's think when they receive reports of our troops marching along their borders!? They'll be outraged!"

"Remember who you're speaking to, Sir Longshire." Moon narrowed her eyes at her advisor. The man jumped and bowed his head apologetically, having been put back into his place. "And they won't be outraged," continued Queen Moon. "If anything they'll be curious. I'm friends with Queen Aurelia, and the nobles ruling the Borulian Alliance won't jump to any conclusions before getting more information." Moon sighed. "I'll just have to answer _a lot_ of questions..."

"Your words are as wise as always, my Queen." The man bowed his head respectfully and cleared his throat. "Anyway, moving on to more local affairs-"

"Urgh!" Queen Moon grumbled distastefully and rolled her eyes. "You needn't finish your sentence, Sir Longshire, I already know what you're about to ask, _again_!"

"I pester you with this only because the people grow more and more impatient with each passing day. They demand to know whether the boy, Marco Diaz, is worthy of becoming their next King or not. Remember that they're still outraged over the lies they'd been told."

"We didn't lie to them. Things just... escalated very quickly and Star ended up taking another's hand. And we didn't keep it secret given that we told them the next day!"

"Yes. _A_ _commoner's_ hand. One who isn't even from our dimension," argued Sir Longshire. "I myself was also upset, but I shall not question your judgement, your highness."

"And I appreciate your loyalty and am fully aware of the situation. Fear not, Marco Diaz will soon be tested and the people will judge whether he is worthy of the crown."

"And if they reject him?"

Moon's response came after a long delay. The queen spoke, confident yet reserved, "We'll deal with that obstacle should it come. But I know Marco very well. While he is a mere human and, um, _fragile_ in comparison to Mewmans, he is also a smart and well-educated boy whom I happily entrust to look after my daughter. And frankly," all grace disappeared from Moon's voice and was replaced with a blunt dullness. "He's the only being I've met thus far that knows how to keep Star in line. It's a trait that'll be most welcome in the castle once she takes over my place as Queen of Mewni..."

"A reasonable choice, milady. So, when is the trial scheduled?"

"In a few days. I'm still waiting for River to return from his hunting trip." Moon sighed. "I swear, the older he gets the more pointless shenanigans he does..." She shook her head wearily and looked at Sir Longshire, and said, "Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"No. I believe I've asked all I've wanted to. I'll relay your words about our troops and tell out generals to begin mobilisation."

"Very well. You are dismissed." Moon waved him off, to which the man bowed and exited the throne room. She sighed and slumped into her throne. "I'm getting too old for this..."

 _Earth_

Cosmos shot an energy bolt at Marco, which the boy promptly deflected back at him by swiftly casting a mirror spell. Cosmos dissolved the magic before it could reach him, and barked.

 _Excellent! You cast spells like a sorcerer, yet I can see that your combat skills are that of a true warrior!_

"Thanks!" Marco responded with a proud smile on his face. "I never thought casting spells would be so easy and effortless! I thought there was more to it than just jumping around and making karate poses."

 _There should be more to it, but you learn remarkably fast, especially for a human! Have you ever done magic before?_ Cosmos tilted his head curiously and barked.

Marco shook his head. "No. I didn't even think it was possible to do magic without a wand until I read it in the book, honest!"

 _Comet was and still is a natural but even she needed several tries to flawlessly execute a spell; You're acing them all at your very first try!_

Marco shrugged. "I don't know how I do it. I just do the moves in my own way and poof! The spells just work!"

 _I know. This is quite interesting. It's been awhile since I've last had the privilege to oversee the training of a Combat Mage._

"Combat Mage?"

 _Yes. Very few are able to find the balance between fighting and casting spells and never truly master both, therefore they specialise in one. Having the ability to spellcast **while** fighting is a very rare trait! You should be honoured that you've been blessed with it!_

"Uhh... Thanks," said Marco and chuckled awkwardly. "But these spells aren't exactly top-tier, are they?"

 _True._ Cosmos nodded. _The spells we've used so far are the simplest ones there are. Here-_ Cosmos turned forward a few pages. _This is a more advanced spell. Its purpose is to create a defensive ward that protects you or your target of choice from fire. Try casting it._

Marco studied the moves carefully for a few moments, then performed the moves in order, along with some of his signature karate chops and kick. For a moment, the spell seemed to be working as a red circle formed underneath the boy's feet, but it soon exploded in a gust of flames, leaving the charred ground behind. Luckily, it didn't set anything on fire and Marco seemed alright, apart from coughing out the inhaled smoke.

 _As expected; The advanced spells are not yet within your grasp._ Said Cosmos through their mental-link. _However, I am astounded that you managed to manifest it, even if only for a few seconds. At this rate, you'll become adept in no time!_

"You think so?"

 _I do think so, yes. The amount of effort you'll have to put into your training will probably be a grain of that which other users must._ Cosmos said. His ears twitched rapidly and he barked. _Anyway,_ _I'd love to stay and oversee you a little longer, but I'm afraid this was I the time I could afford to spare in this dimension. A more important duty calls._

"What kind of duty, if I may ask?"

 _You may not._ Responded the wolf, his voice firm and decisive. _These are matters that are need-to-know only, and you are outside of the circle of people that we can entrust with this information._ Hearing this made Marco frown. _Be glad, child. Some things are better kept out of daylight._

Marco sighed. "If you say so... But you will tell us if it's anything serious, right? Star and I would gladly help out if we could."

 _I appreciate the offer, Marco Diaz, but I pray the two of you need not involve yourselves any further than you already are..._

Marco jumped. "Hold on!" He exclaimed, taking note of the hound's words. "What are Star and I involved in!?"

 _Good day to you, Marco Diaz._ Cormos barked once, creating a magical rift in mid-air and departed, leaving the Latino boy alone and confused. Marco muttered something under his breath and picked up the appendix that Cosmos had left behind. "Well, I've still got a little time to spare. What other useful spells are in here?" he said as he began fluttering through the pages.

 _Star's Room_

Both Zora and Star toppled onto the floor with their backs and sighed loudly. The princess patted her pizza-stuffed tummy and burped. "I've gotta say," she said, "Out of all the dimensions I've been to, Earth had the must yummy stuff to eat!"

Zora gave her a smile and a 'mm-hmm' in agreement, despite not having been to nearly as many dimensions. Since the topic had already been brought up, the girl couldn't help but ask, "How many dimensions are there?"

"Well, I've visited 374 so far, but there are tonnes more," replied the princess and sat upright. Zora did the same. The two girls locked their gazes with one another. "Don't worry. Once we make sure you're well and rested, Marco and I will gladly take you dimension-hopping. Have you ever heard of the Uni Dimension?"

Zora nodded. "Yeah. One of those flying unicorn heads visited the town once. They chased him away, though... But I have heard of it."

"That's great! We can go there and visit my bestie Flying Princess Pony Hea-" Star cut herself short and rubbed her chin in thought. "Oh, right. I forgot that she's still at St. O's..."

"What's St. O's?" Zora asked, her eyebrow arched.

Star shuddered, and said, "A reform school for wayward Princesses... I almost got sent there a few times. Marco and I did crash it once and the Princesses there have started rebelling against that old hag's brainwashing system, but I definitely don't wanna go back there... **ever**..."

"Is it that horrible?" Zora questioned with a frown.

"Not as horrible as the place you were staying in, but yeah, it sucks a lot!" Star sighed and put on a cheery smile. "But let's talk about something other than that place. Something more fun!"

"Like Magic?" asked Zora, staring at Star's wand.

"Exactly!" Star exclaimed and brought her wand before Zora's face. "This bad boy is the Butterfly's Royal Magic Wand that I inherited from my mother-"

"Queen Moon Butterfly," Zora cut in, proud of the knowledge she'd picked up from several conversations she'd overheard during her years of servitude. "And your father is King River Butterfly, right?"

"Yep!"

"Well, what's it like?"

Star arched an eyebrow at Zora, not understanding her question. "What's what like? Magic?"

Zora looked down at her lap and frowned. "...Having parents..."

"Oh..." Star stuttered and rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "I mean, they can be pretty strict and a little annoying at times. We sometimes get into arguments and they tend to punish me for the smallest of things." Star put on a tiny smile. "But we always make up at the end of the day because, despite our disagreements, we love one another very much."

"That sounds nice," Zora murmured just barely loud enough for Star to hear. Silence settled upon the two, which the elder girl broke.

"Hey," Star placed a comforting hand on her Zora's shoulder and the girl looked up at her. "There's no need to feel so down. For all we know, your parents could still be alive and worried sick for you."

"You think so?"

"I do. Really," said Star in a gentle voice. "I already told you, you're no longer alone. We'll take care of you for as long as you like."

Zora nodded and smiled faintly. "Thank you."

"So, as I was saying," Star let her cheerful persona take hold of her body once more. "This is the wand I cast spells and battle monsters with!" She said, showcasing her wand.

"Is it valuable?"

" _Very valuable!"_ Star raised a finger in emphasis, and continued, "Not only that but it's also one of the most powerful objects known in existence! In the wrong hands, it could cause devastation and Chaos, so I have to guard it at all times!" She leant closer to Zora, and added, "And have lots of fun along the way, hehe."

Zora, too, chuckled. "That sounds like a huge responsibility. I mean, you don't look that old..."

"I turned 15 a couple of weeks ago, but I've had it since I was 14." Star shrugged casually. "It's a family thing."

"Do you know how to use it?"

"Duh, silly! I am a magical princess, after all!" Zora blushed in embarrassment and Star giggled. "Speaking of which, do you want to see some magic?" the princess asked.

Zora nodded excitedly. "Yes, please!" she exclaimed.

Star smirked and lifted her wand into the sky and aimed at the window, and shouted, " _Narwhal Blast!_ " A torrent of water with narwhals shot out of her wand and flew out the window. Star crossed her arms smugly while the crashing of cars and screaming of people could be heard outside.

Zora began clapping her hands and Star bowed proudly. "That was awesome! Do more!" Zora demanded.

Star whipped her wand through the air again and yelled, "Sugar _Candy Rain Cloud!"_ A pink cloud formed about the two girls and, as its name implies, began raining candy onto them. Zora picked up a piece of the candy and eyed Star curiously. The Mewman Princess smiled and gestured her to try the sweet delicacy. Zora did so and widened her eyes as a sweet taste flooded every corner of her mouth, a sensation she'd never before experienced.

"It's candy," Star stated as she herself ate a piece.

"It's very tasty," said Zora and swallowed the sugary treat.

"I know. Just don't eat too much of it at once," Star said with her finger raised attentively. "I got a _little_ carried away one time and my tummy really hurt, so be careful," she told Zora to prevent her from having to endure the same experience. The small girl nodded and ate another piece of sugary goodness.

"What other spells can you cast?" she asked Star while chewing on the sweet.

"Oh, a whole bunch of stuff. Summoning spells, teleportation, flying, transformation-"

"Transformation?" Zora asked curiously.

Star nodded. "Yeah, transformation. You know, like turning someone into an animal or a monster or something like that. Temporarily, of course."

"Oh, that sounds neat," Zora said, smiling.

"Do you want me to demonstrate it for you? It's really fun!"

"Hmm..." Zora tapped her chin in thought and shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I've always wondered what it's like being a bird."

"Then a bird you shall be!" Star exclaimed and aimed her wand at Zora. "Just stand back and let the magic do the trick!"

 _Meanwhile_

Sudden nausea overcame Marco and he felt an odd tingling sensation in his right arm. He placed the palm of his left hand on his forehead and took a few steps backwards, trying his best not to fall from the dizziness. "Urgh... What was that..." he murmured and rapidly shook his head. "Must've used a little too much of that energy Comet's book was talking about..."

 _Star's room_

Zora gripped her head with both hands and screamed in agony as she fell onto her knees.

"Zora!" Star yelled in panic and rushed over to the girl, dropping her wand in the process. The Mewman princess knelt down next to the screaming girl and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What happened? Is everything alri-" She never finished her sentence. Instead, the blonde girl widened her eyes as red and purple runes began appearing across Zora's skin, slowly spreading across her entire body. Her dress and skin began turning black as charcoal. A shadowy mist formed around the small girl as the transformation continued.

 _Did my spell do this?_ Star thought. She hadn't perfected it yet, so a miscast may have occurred. She swallowed. _Marco is going to **kill** me if he finds out about this!_

"Don't worry! Don't worry! Uh... I'll fix this!" The princess exclaimed and rushed over to her wand, picking it up from the floor.

Upon turning around, Star noticed that it was no longer Zora who was occupying a portion of her room. Instead there now stood a small, dark humanoid-feline figure shrouded in shadows and covered in odd runes and lines that kept shifting between red and purple. The black figure was the same size as Zora, but Star could tell this was not the little girl.

Star watched the figure creep over to her bed and from it retrieve Zora's cat mask. It strapped the mask onto its head and turned around to look at Star, one eye glowing fiery red, the other dark purple. Both kept leaving a thin trail of the corresponding light behind every time the creature turned its head, which vanished moments later. Star stared at the figure as it stared back, unmoving. _What is that thing? Did I screw the spell up **that** badly? _

"Z-Zora?" Star stammered. The figure remained silent and kept whipping it's three dark cat-like tails. Star didn't know what to do, but she had to reverse this... whatever it was before anyone saw the mess she's created... Again...

 _Meanwhile_

Marco, after having drunk a bottle of water to re-hydrate himself, took a deep breath and smiled. "Alrighty then!" he said, his voice beaming with confidence. He opened Comet's appendix. "Let's see... No... No... Nope... Aha!" He set the book onto the ground. "Mirror-Image Spell. Creates an illusion of any object or person within 100 feet and places the replica on the desired spot. Sounds useful enough."

Marco studied the moves carefully and took up a karate stance, then performed a few moves while picturing himself standing 10 feet away. He executed the magic gestures he'd seen in the book and soon enough an exact replica of himself stood exactly 10 feet in front of him. He noticed that it was inanimate, which was to be expected. Marco put on a sly smirk and crossed his arms smugly. "Marco Diaz, sorcerer extraordinaire!" He said to himself.

 _Star's room_

The shadowy figure whipped its head away from Star rapidly and prowled slowly towards the window as if it were being driven by some unnatural force.

"No no no! You're not going anywhere until I find a way to get you back to normal!" The princess said authoritatively and grabbed the creature's attention. It stared at her silently and hissed, startling her, and, with a movement as swift and elegant as an arrow piercing the air, it jumped out the window.

"Hey!" Star yelled after a moment of delay, snapping out of her trance, and followed the creature outside. "You get back here right now! I am **not** getting into trouble because of you!" The princess yelled frantically as she chased after the demonic feline.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **I told you there's more to Zora than meets the eye. It'll be explained soon enough, but you guys are smart so I'm sure most of you will figure out where she's headed and what caused the sudden transformation.**

 **Anyway, feel free to leave a review!**

 **Expected update: In 2 Weeks!**

 **P.S. I'm working on a _Fillmore!_ fanfiction story that'll be up by the end of next month if all goes well! Keep an eye out for that!**


	22. Chapter 6 Final Part

**A/N: So someone complimented my drawing of Comet (I know they're lying because my drawing skills are equivalent to that of a one-armed monkey but I am grateful nevertheless) and wondered whether her initials 'BG' I described and drew have any deeper meaning. You guys know how every author likes hiding subtle things that reveal bits and pieces of his own persona in them? Well, this is exactly the case. The initials 'BG' stand for _Blind Guardian_ , my favourite band, commonly referred to as 'The Bards'. I just like the idea of my own character being a fan of them, although it'll play no part in the story. So there you have it, that's literally it. That's the whole mystery behind the two initials.**

 **Also, sorry for posting it a day later than intended. I've been busy with some stuff and didn't wanna rush it out without a few finishing touches.**

 **That being said, enjoy the Chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RobLebron: There's another reason for his quick learning. And she isn't a cat -.-**

 **Rock Raider: As always, I can't really answer anything without giving away the whole story, sorry xD!**

 **Epitaxial: The Safe King.**

 **RoaringWall: Thanks a bunch! And I'll miss it, too, but at least it has an ending!**

 **RedHood001: Oh, Toffee isn't the main antagonist in this story, but yes, he is involved.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **The Girl with the Mask**

 **Final Part**

"You get back here this instant! I refuse to get into trouble because of you!" yelled the Mewman princess as she chased the creature that had once been Zora through the streets of Echo Creek. The pedestrians stared at the duo in shock and confusion as the two ran by. Fortunately, Zora, or whatever that thing was, paid little to no attention to the passerby and instead kept darting in the same direction, knocking the people over if need be.

Star, on the other hand, was more careful and tried avoiding any needless collisions with the pedestrians. She'd thought about summoning Cloudy and having him chase the creature from a high vantage point, but she had to make sure that she could stop the creature in a heartbeat if it decided to attack an innocent.

It was immune to her magic.

Star had already tried freezing it and creating magical shackles on its feet, but as the beam of magical energy reached the shadowy figure it got cancelled out by the cloak of shadows and didn't even slow the creature down.

 _Maybe I can cast a spell on the ground or somewhere and trap it that way?_ Star raised her wand and was prepared to turn the floor into something sticky, or maybe quicksand, but decided against it. There was no guarantee that it would work and she would put many lives in danger if she went through with it. The Princess groaned irritably. Why was there never an easy solution to anything? It was almost like some mysterious force was hindering her from finding simple solutions to simple problems.

 _Not that this is that simple of a problem..._ she reflected.

The creature made a ninety-degree turn, dashing toward the park.

"Where is it- **she** going now!?" The princess yelled, frustrated, and mimicked the movement to near perfection, thus not losing any of her momentum.

 _Meanwhile_

Zora stood up groggily from the floor, a light moan escaping her mouth as she slowly opened her eyes.

Blackness. Everywhere. An endless void of dark.

She looked from left to right.

Nothing.

"Hello?" She said. The echo of her own voice rung in her ears. Then it stopped. All was silent.

She looked downward. There was no floor.

 _What am I even standing on? And what is this place?_

"Hello?" She repeated. Same result as before. "Um... Is anyone here?" she shouted.

No response.

The girl sighed. "Well," she muttered to herself and looked around. "Might as well see if there's anything here..."

And so she walked. And walked... and walked... and walked...

A low growl.

Alarmed, she spun her head around.

...nothing

"Who's there?" her voice echoed.

No response.

Another growl. This time, from her left.

She whipped her head towards the direction.

...nothing.

She swallowed. The sound of her heart, pounding inside her chest, her only company.

Or was it?

Another growl.

And another.

And another...

 _Something's looming in the shadows,_ she concluded. She took another step forward, thus resuming her former pace.

It felt as if she were standing in place.

All was hollow. Empty.

Something caught her eye, something very familiar, hovering in the air right above her.

"My mask!" she shouted, tapping the top of her head to confirm that the object was no longer on her head. She jumped, trying her hardest to reach it.

She fell short and landed on the... whatever was underneath her feet, keeping her afloat in this bare domain.

She jumped again. Same result.

She was prepping to jump for the third time but stopped. The mask began moving, drifting through the void and away from her.

 _Where's it going?_ she wondered, curiously.

Another low growl sounded. This time, it was closer.

She kept her calm.

 _I guess I'll follow it. Maybe it'll lead me to something else, although I highly doubt it._

Fearlessly, she followed the cat mask, paying no mind to the growls around her.

Whatever _this_ was, she was going to get to the bottom of it and find a way out...

...Probably

 _Meanwhile_

Queen Moon slumped into her throne and let the quill in her hand fall to the ground. Next to her was a small stack of paperwork she'd just finished signing to confirm the mobilisation of Mewni's forces.

The Queen took a deep, fatigued breath, and said, "Done at last! I swear, if I see another piece of paperwork I'll lose my mind!"

Closing her eyes, the Queen murmured, "I can finally get some rest..."

Or so she thought, for reality decided otherwise. A dimensional rift tore open in the middle of the throne room. The guards present aimed their spears toward it and awaited whatever may step through.

Moon groaned irritably. "I am going to kill that court wizard for doing such a sloppy job with the protective magical barrier in this place!"

"You can't really blame him for not being a match for my magical powers," said a familiar voice from the portal. A blonde girl, similar to Moon's own precious daughter, stepped entered through the portal and curtsied with a smile. Moon gestured for the guards to lower their weapons, and greeted the girl, "Hello, Comet. I wasn't expecting a visit from you."

"Honestly, neither was I, Auntie Moon," replied Comet. She closed the dimensional rift behind her. Moon stood up from her seat and made her way over to her beloved niece with the same grace and poise that she was known for throughout her own and many other kingdoms.

"I see your magic is as strong as ever."

"Stronger," said Comet with a sly grin, balancing her wand on the tip of her finger. "What can I say? Preventing cataclysmic forces from destroying the Universe does help you hone your skills."

"Cataclysmic?" asked Moon, eyebrow raised sceptically.

"Alright, I may have exhilarated a _tiny_ bit," Comet said as she raised her hand and made a gesture with her hand by bringing her index finger and her thumb close together. She then added in a blunt voice, "But believe me, the stuff I've fought was no kiddy ride!"

"Like mother, like daughter, I suppose." Moon smiled sadly upon realising what she'd said. "Oh, I'm sorry. That wasn't the best choice of words."

"It's cool," Comet assured. "I'm actually happy that people are comparing me to my mother. She's what I'm striving to become, after all."

"I'm sure you'll become someone even stronger than she was." Moon took a step closer and added in a low voice that only Comet could hear, "Since I've already brought the topic up, how's your father doing? If you don't mind me asking."

Comet's expression and words betrayed her uncertainty. "He's doing _better_ than before, I think..."

"I understand." Moon whipped her head around and was displeased by the number of guards. _Dammit, River. I know you're concerned for my safety but I don't need a plague of guards around here!_

"Shall we walk and talk? I'm guessing you've something to share with me, and I'd rather be told under more... disclosed terms."

Comet accepted the offer and the two began walking through the castle's halls. Comet's gaze kept darting from picture to picture as she passed numerous paintings mounted on the walls. Most were portraits of Moon, River and Star, either painted together or separately. Comet was forced to suppress a chuckle at the sight of Star's serious face. She simply could not see her cousin being a serious noble. Then again, neither was she.

"So," Queen Moon spoke, breaking the companionable silence, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I assume it's something urgent given that you couldn't wait for the next Magic Council meeting."

Comet nodded, and said, "I wouldn't say 'urgent' but it's definitely something I don't wanna postpone."

"Do tell."

"But first, promise me you won't tell Star that I informed you of this! I kinda promised her that I wouldn't."

"Alright," Answered Moon, hesitantly. "I won't mention your name if I confront her about it. So, what's she done now?"

"You want the long version or the short version?"

"Short version."

"Alright. When I visited her some time ago, an assassin came and tried to kill her."

" **What!?** " Moon inhaled sharply and came to an immediate halt, her eyes wide and filled with shock and disbelief. "An assassin tried to kill Star!?"

"Calm down! Let me explain!" Comet pleaded, making gestures for the Queen to calm down. "She was never in any real danger. Cosmos and I made sure she stayed safe! But I wanted to do some research into that guy and confirm that it's indeed the same guy that's known for having murdered several nobles without any clear motives."

Moon froze. Her words came out as shudders. "You mean, _him?_ "

"Yeah, him. Cosmos tracked him down and predicted his actions. We were able to fend him off, but it wasn't easy. Also..." Comet fell silent. _Should I tell her about- no. She doesn't need to know that. That's my burden to carry, and my revenge to take._ "Also, Star's safe and I doubt he'll be coming after her again. It's strange; we've lost track of him entirely, but Cosmos is trying to locate him."

Moon sighed in pure relief at Comet's reassuring words. Frowning, she spoke, "I'm going to have a little chat with Star about keeping things like this secret from-"

"Don't," Comet interrupted. "To be fair, she didn't even know about the whole thing until after I'd already chased him away. If you wanna blame anyone for not relaying the information to you, blame me."

Moon shot the girl a stern look, and sighed, tiredly. "You're too honest for your own good..."

"Thanks. I think...?" There was a pause as Comet contemplated on what to say next. Queen Moon beat her to the punch.

"Do you need any assistance in your search? I'd be relieved if I knew this murderer was behind bars."

Comet shook her head. "No," she said, "Cosmos and I can handle it. Just keep an eye out for anything strange. There's always the possibility that he may go after you."

"And if he goes after Star?"

"Don't worry. Cosmos and I have taken a few, um, 'precautions' to make sure he'll regret doing it."

"And those are?"

Comet zipped her lips shut. "That's to remain a secret, for the time being."

Moon shook her head and sighed. "You never are straightforward, are you?" Comet chuckled at the remark. "Alright," Moon continued. "Is there anything else I should know of?"

"No. That's about it, I think." Comet took out her wand and tore open a magical portal. "Sorry for making this visit short, Auntie Moon, but I need to get back to Cosmos and see if he's found anything."

"Be careful."

Comet smiled. "I'm never careful," she said and waved Moon goodbye, then hopped into the portal.

 _Echo Creek Animal Preserve_

"I said come over here!" Star yelled frantically as the chase continued. Any normal person would have collapsed from exhaustion by now, but not Star Butterfly! She always kept herself in top physical shape; You never know when something strange might happen, like this bizarre situation!

The shadowy form did not respond to the princess' cries and instead kept running in the same direction. It _looked like_ it was headed for Echo Creek Academy. Why? She didn't know. Perhaps it was headed somewhere else entirely and the school just happened to be on the same path? Honestly, she didn't care. Zora was somewhere in there and it was her fault for transforming her into that _thing_. She had to find a way to reverse it.

 _What else could have caused such an abominable transformation? Although, now that I think about it, it does look kinda cute, in a shadowy image of death kind of way- **NO!** You are **NOT** thinking about this! That's Zora! If Marco finds out what you've done he'll kill you! Just catch her and turn her back to normal, ok, Star? **And why are you speaking to yourself in third person!?**_

Being focused on her own thoughts and having a mental argument with herself, Star failed to notice that she was nearing Echo Creek Animal Preserve, the place where Angie said she and her group from the Echo Creek Society for Animal Habitat Preservation would be protesting against the habitat being torn down and made into a construction site for a new road.

Speaking of which...

"We won't stand up for this!"

"Yeah!" the group yelled in unison as their signs of protest were raised high. Pictures of wild animals in their natural habitats decorated the signs, from forest animals to birds and even insects.

"People, please!" the man in charge of the construction pleaded to the upset audience, Angie Diaz at its head. He sighed. "Listen. I know that you're trying to preserve the wildlife of Echo Creek, but rest assured that the animals will not be harmed! They'll be transported to the local Zoo where they'll be able to live undisturbed."

"Like they are right now?" Angie challenged, crossing her arms. "This animal preserve," she gestured around herself, "is Echo Creek's only one! The animals like it here and tearing it down just to build some stupid road is unacceptable!"

"Yeah!" The group backed her up with their loud cheer.

The man frowned. "Listen," he spoke, "I don't like the idea either, but this road will save travellers and truck drivers over an hour of driving!"

"And spread pollution!" Angie countered. "I'm sorry, sir, but we of the Echo Creek Society for Animal Habitat Preservation cannot and will not support this decision! After all, we don't want to anger the spirit!"

"The spirit?" He questioned, looking a bit lost.

"Yes, the spirit!" exclaimed Angie. The group of protesters began nodding and murmuring in agreement.

"Alright. And what exactly is 'the spirit'?" He asked, expecting a profound answer, which he received.

"The Legend says that if the animals of Echo Creek are ever under the threat of being driven out of their natural habitat, the spirit will punish those who dared defy mother nature."

The man frowned and sighed irritably, then said, "Look. I don't care about your superstitious mumbo-jumbo! This road is happening whether you tree-huggers like it or not!" As he was about to order the drivers to start their engines and ignore the protesters since they would likely scatter, something in the distance caught his attention. He squinted and gazed at the black figure in the distance.

"What the-!?" He exclaimed, his voice filled with alarm. A black cat-like figure dashed past him, knocking him over in his moment of fright. He, along with the protesters, stared blankly as the figure disappeared into a nearby bush.

"I said, stop running!" a voice boomed and a blonde girl emerged from somewhere. She was running in the same direction as the thing, but stopped momentarily and smiled at Angie. "Hi, Mrs. Diaz!"

"Hi, Star."

"I'd love to stay and chat but I'm kinda in a hurry. See you later!" Star exclaimed and ran off.

An awkward silence settled upon the gathered group.

"So," the head of the road construction said, breaking the silence. The protesters stared at him, blankly. "That thing won't come after me if I cancel the road construction, right?"

 _Meanwhile_

Marco sat down and gripped his right arm as the strange sensation of ants crawling under his skin returned, along with nausea. He moaned in discomfort and shook his head rapidly in an attempt to get rid of the whirling sensation.

"Alright. I think this is a sign that I've done enough practice for today..." he concluded and closed the spellbook.

An odd feeling washed over him, one he couldn't explain.

The nausea and the tingling in his arm disappeared.

He shrugged.

 _Location: Unknown_

Zora came to a stop.

The mask, once in motion and moving freely through the black space was now floating just beyond her reach.

"That's good," she said. What wasn't good was the continuous snarling around her.

"Ok, now to reach it. But how...?" she pondered. Sadly, there was literally nothing in this place to help her reach the mask.

Fortunately, some questions answer themselves without the need for intervention.

Her mask began descending slowly toward her.

She smiled.

It would soon be in her reach.

... Probably

 _With Star_

As the chase progressed, the two drew closer and closer to the school.

For Star, this was both bad and good news. The bad part was that Marco was still probably at school doing... whatever he was busy doing -she would have to ask him about that later- and would undoubtedly see the mess she'd created.

The good news was that there were no people around, which meant that she could manipulate her surrounding without the fear of hurting anything or anyone.

Star, wand in hand, readied herself to cast a spell that would hopefully stop the shadowy creature.

Luckily, there would prove to be no need for that.

 _With Zora_

The girl hopped up and grabbed the mask.

Smiling, she strapped it onto her head.

The void shook violently.

From the darkness, more snarls roared.

The void began breaking.

A loud boom sounded behind her.

She turned her head around and was blinded by a flash of light.

 _Echo Creek Academy_

Star rubbed her eyes fiercely.

 _What was that?_ she wondered, having been momentarily blinded by a powerful glow. The princess opened her eyes and widened them upon seeing Zora standing before the school entrance. The girl was back to her normal self.

 _Huh. The spell must've worn off or something,_ she concluded and walked over to the confused girl as the later kept whipping her head around and staring oddly at her surroundings. She spotted the princess, and asked, "Uh, how'd I end up here?"

Star raised a peculiar eyebrow at her. "You don't remember anything?"

Zora shook her head. "No. All I remember is talking about magic and some stuff about becoming a bird..." she explained. "Why? Did something happen?"

"Uh, I'll...explain it to you some other time, alright?"

 _Looks like she doesn't remember anything,_ the princess thought, relieved at the realisation that nobody, especially Marco, would ever find out about her little chase.

"Look, there's Marco!" Star exclaimed and pointed her finger at the Latino boy who was walking toward them with a pleasantly surprised grin.

"What are you two doing here? I thought you were at home," he said, giving the princess a welcoming hug.

 _Quick! Think of something!_ "We wanted to surprise you and pick you up from school," Star responded hastily and broke the embrace.

"We did?" Zora questioned, still confused.

"Yeah! Duh! Of course, we did!" Star chuckled nervously. Zora shrugged it off; Things were confusing enough already, so it was best to just go with the flow.

"Huh. That's oddly thoughtful of you." Marco noticed the drops of sweat running down his girlfriend's forehead, and said, "How about we go get some ice cream? You look like you just ran across half of town."

"You have _no idea..._ " Star murmured to herself and put on a bright smile. Looking down at Zora, she asked, "You want some ice cream?"

"What's ice cream?"

"I'll take that as a yes," Star replied and took her hand.

Together, the trio walked to the ice cream parlour.

 **End of Chapter 6!**

* * *

 **Dear Lord, this chapter is pure Chaos xD... I just didn't feel like dragging things out any further, so sorry if it wasn't up to my usual standard. I've had a busy time with moving back home from my dorm and finishing up the semester + doing some needless formal paperwork...**

 **I'll try to do a better job next time!**

 **Either way, this is another filler kind of chapter, whose events will be explained in more detail later on, plus will play a significant role.**

 **Also, expect a small bonus this week! A scene I'd planned to include in this Chapter but decided against it. I think you'll like it; It'll reveal something a lot of you have been wanting to know for quite some time now!**

 **Well, see you guys soon!**

 **Expected update: In a few days**


	23. Chapter 6 Bonus

**A/N: The new Season 3 opening is out. I've watched it, but don't feel like ranting, so I'm gonna be short and sweet.**

 **Pros:**

 **\+ The Animation (good quality, no complaints)**

 **\+ Marco using his scissors (they still work and I'm intrigued how Star will try to prevent him from coming to Mewni)**

 **\+ Tom and Pony Head (Two Characters that deserve to be in the spotlight)**

 **\+ Kelly (Her being one of the main characters is surprising)**

 **\+ The Blood Moon (It's back, baby!)**

 **Cons:**

 **\- No Jackie (I'm seriously hoping that they'll resolve this mess without just dropping her entirely. She's a great character and it'd be nice if they showed us what her opinion on Star's crush is and give her more attention. Srsly, the only reason Jarco seems so fake and platonic is because she got almost no attention and development...)**

 **\- Star and Marco being happy (I was hoping for tension and awkwardness, and not just act like nothing's happened. I know it's just the opening but they could have shifted the mood from cheery to gloomy)**

 **Anyway, enjoy this small bonus!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Rock Raider: It's just sloppy writing from my side :P. Sorry, my brain was kinda turned off while writing this xD**

 **RobLebron: No. This is a direct sequel to my direct sequel to Season One, so nothing from Season 2 has happened. About Jackie... well... you're about to find out!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Bonus**

 _Dimension: Unknown_

"Report," said a womanly figure, voice rich and commanding like that of Moon Butterfly. Were it not for her clothing and the two spade symbols on her cheeks, one would easily mistake her for the later. Before her stood Jackie, having just arrived, as the open portal behind her and the dimensional scissors in her hand suggested.

"He snuck behind the school and practised spellcasting for a good three hours," said Jackie. "He had a personal trainer, too. It was Comet's familiar."

"The wolf?" Jackie nodded at the question, and the woman continued, "I trust that the two made much progress with the boy's training. Cosmos is and always has been an excellent teacher."

"It was certainly... _something..._ " she trailed off, speaking slowly and paying attention to her wording, "Marco was unable to cast anything until he used his own technique, after which he had no troubles casting adept level spells. I couldn't believe my eyes!"

"As expected from the Saviour." A smile crept onto her face, one filled with vile and pride. She couldn't restrain a low chuckle. "I was expecting him to be special, but this Earthling keeps surpassing my expectations day in and day out. He'll make a fine Emperor."

Jackie was reluctant to answer. Her mind was still in conflict whether to spill the beans to Marco and Star, two of her closest friends, and put a stop to everything before innocent people get hurt. But her heart was burning with hatred and rage that was slowly consuming her mind. She wanted justice. She needed revenge.

Revenge on Queen Moon Butterfly, the one who'd forced her into this life of deception and lies.

The one whose actions stripped had stripped her of everything she'd held dear.

"Is something troubling you, my child?" the woman asked, ending Jackie's daze. The girl's response came as a series of awkward stutters.

"Huh? Oh... no! Nothing is troubling me, mother."

"Good. Now, will you be so kind as to bring some food to our guest?"

"Yes, mother." Jackie bowed her head and went to the main kitchen. There she found a plate of food waiting on one of the counters.

Platter in hand, Jackie descended down a flight of stairs and opened a door that led to a medium-sized room. Within the room was a large lit cage, and inside the cage...

"I brought you some food," said Jackie and walked over to the cage. She eyes the small, bird-like creature glaring at her. She opened the cage door, walked over to him, and sat it on the floor before him.

"It was about time! My tummy yearn for sustenance!" exclaimed Ludo, taking a slice of corn-bread from the platter and taking a large bite. "You know," he spoke, his words muffled by the food, "You could at least let me out once every now and then. I've grown tired of this damn cage!"

"Sorry, Ludo, but I can't," she said, her words sincere and apologetic. "I'm not allowed to do that. You'll have to talk with Mother if-"

"Fine! Fine! Whatever!" he whipped his hand at her dismissively. "Thanks for the food, girly. Now leave! I've grown tired of your company!"

After Jackie had left and the platter was emptied, Ludo slumped into a big, comfy chair and sunk into it, his gaze directed at the lit ceiling.

Ludo was lost. He'd since long given up on understanding the happenings and why he was so vital to their progression. All he knew was that he was trapped and treated surprisingly well, with good food and drinks available to him at his whim. The magical cage enclosing him was spacious and the bed was comfy, plus it was well-lit and had a sofa and a 'Television' -some strange contraption from Earth- that he often watched. He even had the right to bathe and use the bathroom at any time, although under strict supervision, lest he tries to flee.

In short, he was treated well. Too well. This was no way to treat a captive, in his opinion.

He could hardly even call himself a captive with all the luxury he'd been provided with!

But if he wasn't their captive, then what was he?

And that girl, Jackie. Wasn't she one of Butterfly's allies from Earth?

"I need to dig out some information about why I'm here. Perhaps the girl will be willing to tell me..." he murmured and took a deep breath, and sighed.

With nothing else to do, he turned on the TV and began watching his favourite Spanish soap-opera.

* * *

 **Hope you liked it! Feel free to leave a review and your speculations!**

 **And I told you Ludo would be back ;)**

 **Expected update: Next Sunday (June 25th CET+1)**


	24. Chapter 7 A&B

**A/N: 1st one to leave a review gets 3 'anything goes' questions they can ask me, to which I'll reply either publicly (next Chapter's notes) or privately, depending on their mercy. Why am I doing this? No idea.**

 **Moving on!**

 **A little answer to a PM, which I've already answered privately but decided it was worth discussing publicly.**

 **I'm gonna keep it short. I got asked about the length of a Chapter and whether I stick to any specific rules.**

 **Yes and no.**

 **I follow the principle 'write as much as you need to to tell your story, whether it's 100 words or 10k words'. However, I also try to keep a standard of around 2k-3k words per chapter so you guys don't get overwhelmed or underwhelmed. But the latter only applies to Fanfiction. In the novel I'm writing, the currently longest Chapter is nearly 25 pages long while the shortest one is 3 pages. So, yeah, don't limit yourself to the number of words or pages.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RedHood001: He will not be a comedic relief. His role will be something... very unpleasant...**

 **Rock Raider: Oh, he is! You'll see why!**

 **ElleFreak: The Jackie subplot will be something dark and key to the story!**

 **RobLebron: Why would she be mad at Star? She's at peace with their relationship, as mentioned in 'My Star'. And I haven't gone into any details yet, but lets just say that Moon wronged her horribly... You'll find out soon enough, but be prepared for some dark and twisted stuff...**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **A &B**

"Sit properly!" Moon Butterfly, present Queen of Mewni and mother of the rebellious princess and Marco's girlfriend, Star Butterfly, yelled at Marco, who promptly straightened his posture on the throne. Narrow-eyed, she shook her head, and said, "To be a King you must first look the part. Remember: Proper posture is key to being a ruler!"

"Yes, ma'am!" said Marco in response, much to the Queen's delight, as showed her smile.

"Good," she said. "Now, sit like that for the next 2-3 hours. I'll be back later today and we'll move on to the next part. Good?"

Marco nodded, and Moon departed.

He signed wearily.

Honestly speaking, he didn't even remember how or why he was even in the present situation. The day had started off normally, then took a sudden and, above all unexpected turn...

 _Earth, some time Earlier_

As usual, Marco was sitting at the breakfast table after having showered and dressed, waiting for Angie to finish preparing breakfast and Star and Zora to join him. At the other end of the table was Rafael, who'd returned home two days ago and was now busy reading the news and enjoying a fresh cup of black coffee, a bitter taste which Marco wasn't really a fan of.

Today was Saturday, meaning that Marco was in no hurry to catch the bus and could let Star snooze a bit longer, along with her 'snuggle-buddy', Zora, who was excused to more sleep, given her young age. Star was definitely exploiting this, but such was the mischevious princess.

When she finally _did_ come down the stairs, she was still in her purple nightgown and alone.

"Morning, Marco," she greeted her soon-to-be king and casually stole a quick good morning kiss, then greeted his parents. "Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Diaz!"

"Good morning, Star," the two replied in unison, Angie busy at work on squeezing out fresh orange juice and Rafael engrossed in his newspaper.

"Where's Zora?" asked Marco, suspecting what the answer would be. Soon enough, his suspicion was confirmed.

"She's still out like a log!" said Star with a cheery smile. "Friday family movie night really took a toll on her."

The three had been up late into the morning hours watching movies, as Zora had requested upon learning of their existence. Star and Marco were both happy to watch her bask wide-eyed and in fascination at the moving pictures. Naturally, and putting her young age into consideration, they'd gone with a more or less G-rated selection of movies, such as animated films or comedies.

In the end, they'd watched 4 movies and were half-way into the 5th one when Zora fell asleep on Star's lap and they were 'forced' to call it a night. Marco found it sweet that Star found so much joy in sharing a room and even a bed with Zora, in spite of the availability of the guest room; Star simply loved having her as company. Then again, so did he. Perhaps some of Zora's good behaviour would rub off on her, who knows?

"Did you hear that?" Marco asked suddenly.

"I didn't hear anything," said Star.

Marco arched an eyebrow. He could have sworn that he'd heard a trumpet or similar instrument just now.

The noise came again, this time much louder, reaching the ears of the other three family members.

"There it is again!" said Marco.

"Yeah, I heard it, too!" replied Star.

From the stairs, the family of for heard a yawning sound and turned to see Zora coming down, rubbing one eye tiredly and hugging one of Star's stuffed animals to her chest.

"What's going on...?" she said groggily and yawned.

The noise became increasingly louder, then stopped. Star and Marco both exchanged a curious look.

"What was-" Marco began but never finished as the doorbell rang.

Angie walked over to open it and widened her eyes upon seeing a white and blue carriage parked in the driveway. Before it stood two men wearing blue clothes, accompanied by a small, familiar man with hair as blond as Star's and a well-groomed beard. He was smiling cheerfully at Angie.

"How do you do, Angie? Long time no see!" River greeted her with a smile.

"Oh, King River, what a surprise," said Angie, delighted at the sudden visit. She beckoned him to come in, which he gladly did.

"Hello, Rafael!" he greeted him in a chummy fashion and shared a man-hug with his muscular friend. He then turned to Star and Marco and greeted both of them with a smile. His smile soon turned into a curious look as his sight fell upon an unfamiliar figure.

"Dad, this is the girl Marco and I found. Her name is Zora," said Star, sparing her father the bother of having to inquire about her identity. There was no doubt that Moon had told him about her. Zora smiled meekly at the King and hid behind Star. The elder girl took her hand and said assuringly, "There's no need to be nervous. My Dad's pretty chill. Right, dad?"

"Like a Mewcumber!" the King responded with glee. Marco assumed that what he was referring to was the Mewman version of a Cucumber. "Your mother told me everything," he said, gaze focused on Star "Rest assured," he said, this time looking at Zora, "Justice will be served to whoever did the foul deed!"

Zora was unsure how to respond to his words, or even respond at all, so she remained silent, but stepped out from behind Star, no longer feeling the urge to seek cover behind her.

King River smiled, and spoke, his words directed at both his daughter and his soon-to-be son-in-law.

"It's nice to see you two fit and healthy as ever."

"It's good to see you, too, Dad. But what are you doing here? I'm not in trouble, am I?" said the princess, expecting the worst, given that he'd come personally to talk about whatever agenda needed to be discussed. He was cheerful, but that was just his nature. There was no telling what his intentions were. Fortunately, her worries proved to be obsolete.

"No no no! Not at all! I actually didn't come here for you," River said and looked past his daughter. "I came here for _him_!" He looked and pointed at Marco.

"Me?" asked the Latino, unsure why he was the object of interest. "Why me?"

"Do you remember some time ago when my wife informed you that you'd soon be put under a certain trial?"

"Yeah," said Marco, vaguely remembering the Queen's words from then.

"Well, the preparations have been made and you are to come to Mewni with me to begin the said test!" said River and walked over to Marco and patted him on the shoulder. He could see the confusion and anxiousness in Marco's eyes, and continued, "I know you're confused, but there's no need to be anxious. Everything will be explained once we get to Mewni."

"Hold on." River removed his hand from Marco's shoulder. "You're expecting me just give up on whatever plans I had for today and blindly follow you to Mewni to participate in some 'trial' whose meaning I don't even know of?"

"...Basically, yes."

"Well, why didn't anyone tell me about this beforehand? And I don't mean vaguely, I mean exactly, as in time and date!"

"The answer is quite simple!" exclaimed River, raising a finger in an explanatory fashion and straightening his posture. "The King of Mewni must always expect the unexpected and be prepared to face whatever lies around the corner! In short; My coming here is already a part of the trial. Should you refuse, you'll fail by default! So come along, now."

Marco didn't take River's warning seriously, and, as such, crossed his arms, and asked, "Ok. And what'll happen if I choose _not_ to participate in this... whatever it is, and fail?"

"Then the people of Mewni will never acknowledge you as my successor and you can kiss my daughter goodbye! True love or not!" said River, his voice stern.

Marco felt tiny all of a sudden. He had no clever response, and neither did Star, likely aware of the situation better than he. Finally, Marco sighed defeatedly.

"Alright, alright! I get the message!" he sighed again. "How long will this 'trial' last?"

"From sunrise to sundown, if you're lucky. Mine lasted throughout the night," replied River, calm and composed. Fortunately for Marco, Moon and River had managed to pull a few strings and have the tasks suited for a human. While Marco was undoubtedly one of the stronger human's they'd come across, River doubted that he'd be a match for a pack of trolls or a tree giant. "So, I ask you again; Marco Diaz of Earth, do you accept the challenge, or do you forfeit?"

Marco looked at Star, obviously unsure what to say. She smiled affectionately and kissed his cheek, then said, "I know it's sudden, but it's something which has to be done. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll pass. Go."

Feeling reassured, Marco grinned confidently and proclaimed, "Ok. I accept."

"Splendid!" said River. The King beckoned Marco to step outside and climb into the carriage. Marco did so promptly and was soon joined by River himself.

"Good luck, Marco!" Star exclaimed, waving him off from the doorstep, along with his mother and father. Zora also waved shyly.

"Hya!" the carriage driver yelled and whipped the horses carrying the harness. They galloped toward an open dimensional rift that closed behind them.

They were gone.

Just as the four at the doorstep were about to head back inside to finish their breakfast, a second portal opened on the exact spot where the previous one had closed.

"Were you expecting someone?" asked Angie, looking at the Mewman princess beside her. Star shook her head and shrugged. They soon received an answer as a boy clad in familiar prestigious white clothing exited the portal. His smile was wide and his voice cheerful.

"I have returned!" Prince Shining yelled proudly, making his arrival known. Star was unsure how to react, but held no grudges again him, so she smiled and walked over to greet him.

Zora followed her, assuming that the strange boy was an acquaintance of Star.

The prince, as was the custom in the kingdom from which he hailed, Alwaysland, took Star's hand and kissed it slightly before releasing it. Star didn't seem to mind, although she was sure that Marco would anything but approve of the prince's greeting methods.

She hugged him briefly, and said, "Uh, I don't mean to sound rude, but what _are_ you doing here?"

"A fair question," laughed Shining, smiling widely. "Shall we discuss it over a cup of tea?"

"I don't really like tea, but would some chocolate milk suffice?"

"Also good," he responded. He then saw the young girl standing next to Star, and spoke, "Ah, I see you've adopted. I had my suspicions about the compatibility between you and Marco but never considered the thought of looking for a hair at such a young age because of this obstacle. Nonetheless, I shall respect your decision!"

" **What!? No no no no no!** " Star spoke frantically, blushing madly and shaking her hands rapidly. Zora, too, was as ripe as a tomato. "Marco and I _found_ Zora in the middle of the woods and she's just staying with us for the time being! We haven't tried doing... _THAT!_ "

Shining giggled, despite himself. "Oh, my apologies." He had trouble containing his laughter while speaking. "I always have been rash when it comes to making conclusions." He apologised, probably. He then looked at Zora and gave a brief bow. "You carry a wonderful name."

"Thanks," replied Zora with a tiny voice, her face still beating read.

Star heard both Angie and Rafael's snickers from the doorway and whipped her head around. She shot them an angry glare. Both parents played dumb and retreated into the house, whistling casually as they did so.

"Anyway," Star began, turning her head toward the prince. "Come on inside," she beckoned him and led him into the house, closing the door behind them.

 _Mewni, Castle Butterfly_

The greetings came and went like a spring shower. Marco had to shake the hands of several Mewmans who didn't look very pleased by his presence but said nothing. At first look, they looked like the representatives of social and working groups of Mewni. One looked to be a farmer, one like a nobleman, another like a common peon, and so forth.

Marco wanted to ask King River whether he should say anything special to them, but the small King remained silent and merely observed his actions. Marco guessed that this was also one of the impromptus he had to accomplish by himself, so he kept a straight face while greeting those representatives.

Once he'd shaken the hand of every representative and exchanged a few words with each one, Marco followed King River into the main castle hall that leads to the throne room. He was expecting it to be decorated for the occasion and additional guards to be posted, yet this was not the case. There were no special decorations or anything, just Queen Moon sitting casually high up on her throne and smiling at Marco once he came into sight.

"Hello, Marco. I'm glad you're here."

"The pleasure's all mine, your hig-" Marco was about to say 'your highness' but Moon frowned angrily and narrowed her eyes at him, expressing a mixture of anger and annoyance. It took Marco a few seconds to understand why she'd reacted in such a way. Once it finally dawned on him that it was his formal attitude towards her that had triggered such a reaction, he smiled sheepishly, and said, "Um, hi, Queen Moon. I, uh, can call you that, right?"

Moon sighed and shook her head playfully at the boy. While she did appreciate his polite attitude, he didn't seem comfortable with addressing royalty in such a casual fashion. He would get used to it in due time, she reminded herself.

"You're a smart lad. I'm sure you've figured out why you're here."

"Yeah." Marco nodded. "Something involving that 'trial' you were talking about, right?"

Moon nodded. "Correct. I presume you want to know a bit more about it?"

"That would be preferable."

"Not to worry. Everything will be explained as the day progresses. For now, come over here."

Marco acted obediently and walked up to the throne. What happened next took him off guard. The Queen stood up from her seat and pointed her hand at the throne. It looked like she was inviting him to sit down.

Marco looked at her for confirmation but received a deadpan stare in return. He then sat down on the seat, and asked, "Uh, what am I supposed to-"

"Sit Properly!" she exclaimed without warning, startling him into submission. "To be a King you must first look the part. Remember: Proper posture is key to being a ruler!"

"Yes, ma'am!" he responded swiftly and straightened his posture.

 _What the heck is going on!?_

"Good," she said, a satisfied smile plastered on her face. "Now, sit like that for the next 2-3 hours. I'll be back later today and we'll move on to the next part. Good?"

He nodded without hesitation. Moon gave him a brief bow and departed along with her husband, leaving the Latino boy completely in the dark.

 _Something tells me that this day is gonna be interesting..._

 **End of part 1!**

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **He's back, baby! By far the most annoying character I've ever made! Prince Shining!**

 **Hopefully, you guys still remember him. If not, just read 'My Star' and you surely will!**

 **This Chapter was short, but there's a good reason for it; I'm planning to make an A and a B version for this Chapter(on for the happenings on Mewni and one for Earth) and post them _weekly!_ Hopefully, I'll succeed! **

**I'll likely start with Marco's 'trial' on Mewni.**

 **Until then, C y'all next week(end)! (Probably...)**

 **Expected update: Next Saturday/Sunday, possibly Monday.**


	25. Chapter 7 1A

**A/N: Regarding the question of Betas. My Beta profile is set up and I currently** ** _am accepting requests_** **. The details are on my Beta profile, but here's some general information:**

 **\- Anything from K to T rating (Or M without an overload of smut, or homosexually oriented couples, like Tomco or Janstar)**

 **\- SVTFOE, Zootopia, P &F, and a lot of Anime Fandoms + 'Old' Cartoons or the so-called 'Cartoon Network and Disney Classics' (I've watched most of them and at least vaguely remember them, so it shouldn't pose an issue)**

 **\- Preferred language: English.**

 **\- Any genre, but I'm most experienced in Romance, Drama, and Fantasy**

 **\- Send me a PM with the general concept of the story and what you would wish for me to devote my attention towards (Character interactions, structure, plot, etc.)**

 **Also, I have a small question/favour to ask you guys.**

 **I need to know if anyone here is good at drawing digital art and whether they'd be willing to do a small commission for me as a favour. It does have something to do with this story and I'd be really thankful to anyone who accepts my request. PM me for the details; I don't wanna spoil anything. You'll also get a small 'reward' in return :)**

 **P.S. I know I said that I'd start with Marco's trial but I still have to come up with the nonsense he's gonna have to do, so here's the other bit that takes place on Earth.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RedHood001: He's one of my favourite OC's. So charming, so innocent, yet so goddamn annoying xD. And The Scotsman is one of my all-time favourite cartoon characters!**

 **DonDonatek: Hehe, you've not seen the last of Prince Prince Shining, the biggest troll I've ever created! And I still have to come up with stuff for Marco's trial, so gimme a week or two xD!**

 **RobLebron: It'll be explained, don't worry. It's called story build-up! And the forces of evil are on vacation atm, so expect a lot of humour in this chapter, not much action :P.**

 **Rock Raider: Not really. He's the same annoying lovable wimp as before, and you'll find out why he's returned. And don't worry, his trial won't be something to be taken too lightly; This was just the warm up.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 1A**

"Greetings, Sir and Madam Diaz. I see you both look as young and healthy as I remember you!" Prince Shining said upon entering the house and getting an opportunity to greet the married couple. They both laughed at the statement, flattering as it was.

"It's nice to see you too, your highness," said Rafael. He didn't really know the prince that well, and neither did Angie, so they'd agreed to act somewhat formal towards him. Shining wasn't bothered by it, for he'd come to the same conclusion. After all, his visit had lasted, what, a day? But he was a friend of Star's, so both Angie and Rafael would treat him as such.

"I apologise for my sudden departure back then. But the life of a noble is always busy." He bowed his head half-apologetically. He then turned towards Star, and spoke, "Shall we go to your room? The matters I need to discuss with you are... _delicate_ and... _private_."

Star took note of his bland expression and tone, which was unusual for the ever-cheery prince. She nodded and looked at Angie. "Can you bring us some chocolate milk upstairs?"

"Sure thing, dear. You two just head upstairs. I'll bring it up in a flash."

"Thanks, Mrs. Diaz." Star looked down at Zora, who'd remained silent during the exchange of words. "Would you like some chocolate milk, too? Or would you rather have something else to drink?"

"Chocolate milk sounds good," Zora responded, smiling. She'd drunk the brown liquid once or twice already and swiftly became a fan of the delicious taste.

The trio headed upstairs to Star's room. As promised, Angie brought two glasses of chocolate milk upstairs and departed soon after. They sat down on Star's bed, with Zora in between the two royals.

"So," Star began, slowly sipping on her milk. "What did you wanna talk about that so 'delicate' and personal'?"

Prince Shining hesitated to answer and drank some of his own beverage. He then placed the glass down on the floor before his feet and smiled. "How are things with you and Marco going?"

Star wanted to question his sudden change of topic, but decided not to, and replied, "They're going pretty well. I mean, almost nothing much has changed between the two of us, oddly enough, but I can't really complain."

Indeed. Star had thought that being in a relationship with Marco would drastically change their behaviour toward one another and spark some romantic tension. As time went by, she realised that this was not the case. Aside from their recent date, holding hands, and the occasional kissing, things remained the same as when they were 'only' best friends. This made her wonder whether they'd been just friends to begin with. Perhaps there'd always been something more right in front of them but they were too busy chasing after their crushes, Oscar and Jackie, to notice it.

Whatever the case was, Marco was hers now, and she was his. Just two dorks enjoying each other's company to the fullest extent. She couldn't help but sigh blissfully at the sudden thought; Not that she'd ever admitted it to Marco! After all, she had a reckless reputation to uphold! Maybe after they're officially married...

"I'm glad to hear that."

Those words snapped Star out of her daze. She shook her head rapidly and blushed.

 _Stupid, goofy emotions! Stop it!_

Luckily, Shining seemed to be too focused on something else to take notice of her embarrassment. She took a composing breath of air and said, "What about you? How's life been treatn' ya, Prince Shining?"

"Actually..." Shining trailed off, awkwardly, and scratched the back of his head. Star raised an intrigued eyebrow at him. "I'm not sure if the term 'Prince' will be viable for much longer..."

"Huh?"

He sighed and let himself fall onto the bed. "My father and mother decided to step down and chose _me_ to take their place! The coronation shall be held tomorrow!"

"Seriously? That's great!"

"No! It's anything but great!" He retorted and sat upright, looking at her. Star was surprised by his angry attitude but commented not as she saw that he was ready to explain himself.

"I've already told you that our traditions differ from yours, right?" Star nodded. He sighed, and continued, "Well, our law demands that the King or Queen be wed within 24 hours of his coronation!"

Star now understood the prince's unease. She'd been given one week to find a suitable King. He only has 48 hours, maybe less! But how did she fit into the picture... Wait! Did he...

"You don't want me to marry you, do you!?"

"What!? Good Heavens, no! That's not at all why I came to you!" His response was swift and frantic. Star believed him.

"Can you two stop yelling!?" Zora's sudden outburst shocked the two, particularly Star, who knew her as a shy and quiet being and hadn't once heard her raise her voice, much less yell! The small girl, reading the situation, chuckled. "Sorry..." she murmured awkwardly. "I-I thought this was becoming a thing and wanted to join in..." she looked away from the two and continued drinking her milk.

"Aaaalrighty then...?" Shining said, turning back to Star. "As I was saying, I could never demand such a thing. I've told you already; I do think you're a nice girl, but my heart had been captured by another."

"You mean, Brittney?" Star remember the prince swooning all over her and even having a professional artist draw a portrait of her.

Shining nodded, sadly. "Indeed. You see, the reason I've come to you is that I am in dire need of your assistance." Shining trailed off. "I spoke to her a few days ago..."

 _Flashback_

Brittney was hanging out at the mall with her fellow cheerleaders, a brunette and a blonde. They were in the middle of a very vivid and above all loud conversation.

"And that is why I prefer Gucci designer handbags over J.W. Anderson ones," Brittney stated. The three were in the middle of discussing the latest line of designer purses and clothing. Not that either of the two girls could afford any of the items, but Brittney was more than happy to throw out the junk from last season and replace it with the latest one, so she really had no problem with giving it away to her fellow cheerleaders.

She could hardly call them her friends. They were just the girls she hung out with when she had nothing better to do.

So they were her friends.

Kind of.

But not really.

Regardless of their assigned status, the two didn't seem to mind Brittney's... 'strong' personality and enjoyed hanging out with her. Plus getting free designer clothing every now and then really helped pump up a gal's popularity in school.

"Hey, Britt, I was wondering; How come you have so much fancy designer clothing at home but never wear any?" The blonde one asked.

"Oh, you don't own it to wear it," she responded dully. "It's just so you can say that you have it and show off the amount of money you have. I mean, do you seriously think anyone finds that stuff remotely attractive?"

"Makes sense, I guess," The brunette admitted.

"Anyway, enough small-talk." Brittney pointed at herself in that smug, 'I'm better than everyone else' manner, and said, "Momma needs some new shoes. So why don't we head over to that fancy shoe store and-"

Before she could finish her phrase, she noticed that her two not-friends had stopped and were staring wide-eyed at something before them. Brittney frowned irritably at the two.

"Alright, what could possibly be more important that listening to me talk about getting new shoes?"

"That," both replied in unison. Brittney arched an eyebrow at their strange behaviour and, upon turning her head in that direction, saw what they meant.

A line of men was marching out of one of those dimensional-doohickeys that Star kept opening at the school with her scissors and jumping through them with that other dweebazoid, Marco. The men formed two lines in front of the portal and stood still, their hands behind their straightened backs and their heads held high. One of the men, distinguishable from the others thanks to his fancy hat, proclaimed, "Now announcing the arrival of his Highness, Prince Prince Shining of Alwaysland!"

On queue, Shining stepped through the portal, smiling, his face beaming with pride. The shoppers could only 'ooh' and 'ahh' upon laying their eyes on the young and handsome prince. His graceful appearance was soon foiled as he took a step forward and tripped on a loose tile, falling to the floor face-first.

"I meant to do that..." he grumbled as he was righting himself and dusting off his white and gold suit.

Despite the little accident, everyone in the vicinity was still in complete awe.

That is, everyone aside from one particular raven-haired cheerleader captain, who was staring at him, unimpressed.

"Oh, I remember you," Brittney spoke dully as the prince approached her. "You're that dork from the park, right?"

Shining smiled. "Indeed, I am! At long last, we meet again, my beloved!"

Brittney rolled her eyes. Her arms were crossed defiantly and she was tapping her foot as she spoke, "Whatever. What do you want, loser?"

"I want _you_ , my dearest!"

" **W-What!?** " Brittney yelled, blushing madly. The spectators around them burst into an ominous whispering. Her two not-friends stared at the boy in shock and disbelief. Brittney's cheeks, at this point, were probably the deepest shade of red known in existence.

"What's wrong?" Shining asked, having no idea why she'd reacted in such a flustered way. "I was saying that I want you to accompany me back to my dimension and become my bride. I don't see what you possibly could have misunderstood..."

"Hold up, hold up!" Brittney placed the palm of her right hand on her forehead and rubbed it as if she had a headache, which she probably did after hearing those words so suddenly. After taking a few seconds to take in Shining's words, she replied, her voice stern, "Let me get this straight. You want _me_ to go to some freakshow dimension and marry _you_?"

"So I do!" Shining happily proclaimed. He was glad that she understood his intent perfectly. "So, what say you, my fair and graceful Brittney?"

"Listen. I don't even know who the heck you are, nor do I know anything about you!" Was her response, her voice filled with a mixture of anger, irritation, and just downright confusion. Who in the world, or rather who in the whole friggin _**Universe** _ was this guy?

"Oh, but I know everything there is to know about you, my sweet and beautiful Brittney! The royal spies have inquired everything there is to know about you."

Brittney's eyes grew wide and she recoiled from shock at hearing his words. "You're been spying on me!?" she half-shrieked.

"But, of course!" Shining sighed dreamily, and continued, "And the more I heard, the more I fell in love! They told me everything about you; Your favourite food, your favourite colour, the embarrassing things you have written in your diary. They even told me about that cute little birthmark you have on the bottom side of your left butt -cheek!"

Brittney was left speechless, to say the least. The folks around her, however, laughed upon hearing the last bit of the prince's little speech regarding the birthmark on one of her more personal spots. The raven-haired cheerleader's embarrassment was quickly replaced by pure anger, having been made a fool of by some dandy in white clothes. Her face glowed with a shade of fury and she clenched her fists while glaring at the prince.

Injudiciously, Shining managed to remain oblivious to her boiling rage, and merely said in his normal cheerful tone, "So, what do you say, my beloved?"

 _End of flashback_

"And **that** is how I ended up with this... 'restraining order', whatever that is," said Shining as he held up a piece of paper and showcased it to Star. Wait, didn't Marco wanna file one of those against her during her first few days on Earth?

 _Meh, doesn't matter._

What mattered at the moment was the fact that Shining's little 'proposal' had backfired. Star could finally see why he came to her and only waited for confirmation. She didn't have to wait long as the prince soon spoke up.

"As you can see, I've found myself in quite a peculiar situation. If I can't win her over by tomorrow morning and bring her to my Kingdom, I'll have to be wed to the bride of my parent's choice, and believe me when I say that my mother and father are anything but good judges of character!" Shining looked at Star pleadingly. "I've come to ask for your assistance! Surely you know her and can help me unlock the passageway to her pure and kind heart!"

"Oh, definitely! And I don't mean to brag, but Brittney and I are great friends!" Star said, somewhat smugly. Even after all this time, the Mewman Princess still believed that Brittney actually liked her and enjoyed her company, when the case was the exact opposite. Somehow, Star just failed to see Brittney's more-than-obvious feelings of displeasure towards her. She didn't hate Star, but she definitely didn't wanna be friends with the hyperactive magical princess. What would people think of her?

In any case, Shining had no idea of the actual situation between the two girls and smiled gladly at Star and clasped his hands together cheerfully.

"Thank you, Princess Star Butterfly! You have no idea how much this means to me!"

"Call me 'Star'. And you can thank me **after** we're done with this whole thing."

"Alright then, Star, do you have any idea how I could win her over. After all, who knows what ladies like better than a lady herself?"

"Hehe, OK! To start with, could you please stop doing that?"

"Doing what? Whatever do you mean?" He arched an eyebrow at her.

" _That_!" Star exclaimed, raising her arms into the air frantically. "Your way of talking. Seriously, nobody talks like that!"

"I talk like that," Shining responded bluntly, unsure what the princess was trying to say. Zora decided to contribute to the conversation, having emptied her glass of milk.

"My master often talked like that when he was doing business."

Star sighed tiredly and smiled at Zora.

"That's different, sweetie. My parents also taught me how to speak formally when talking to other nobles, but using such fancy wording in everyday life is just pointless. I mean, he didn't talk like that _all_ the time, right?"

Zora shook her head. "No. Just when he was doing business. I usually had to stand next to him and serve the guests he was talking with, but once they left he just became a rude loudmouth," she explained, remembering her days of servitude with a bitter frown. Fortunately, she was now living with a better family.

Star nodded affirmingly and looked at Shining. "So, do you think you can stop talking like some diplomat all the time and just relax?"

Shining shrugged. "I suppo-" Star crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him while letting out a low and upset growl. Shining chuckled nervously. "I suppose not... Sorry..."

"Whatever. I guess it doesn't really matter in the end," said Star as she stood up from her bed. She turned her head to Shining and Zora. "I'll just go over to Marco's room and grab a pencil and some paper so we can start making a plan." She stated, deciding to use the method Marco had taught her way back when to help her be a bit more organised. She wasn't really a fan planning stuff ahead, but it did have its benefits. She headed over to the door and exited the room, leaving Zora alone with Shining.

"So..." Zora began, eying the prince. "What's with the stupid name? Did your parents hate you or something?" There was no mockery in her tone, just genuine curiosity.

"Uh... It's a long story..." Shining said and shot her a dull sideways glance. "I'm just glad that they didn't go with the name they'd initially intended to give me!"

"And that was?"

"Sunny."

 _End of Part 1A_

* * *

 **A/N: Yeah, Shining's initial name was 'Sunny' but then I decided that 'Prince Shining' sounded way more troll, so I went with it.**

 **Anyway, as always, thank you for reading and feel free to leave a review and a favourite! I'll see you guys in about 2 weeks (going to visit my relatives and won't have much time to write since I'd rather spend time with them)**

 **Bye!**

 **Expected update: In 13 days.**


	26. Chapter 7 2A

**A/N: A day late, I know, but I've been busy, so sue me. Also, I've watched 'The Battle For Mewni' and was not disappointed! It was great, although I do have a few complaints. I'll post them in a seperate rant tomorrow and you can read it if you want to.**

 **Anyway, onto the reviews:**

 **RedHood001: Yes. He is a Prince, with the surname Prince, so he's is Prince Prince Shining. I tried my hardest to come up with the most troll name I could. Also, Brittney is one of those sassy-girls that I like watching in cartoons; I see her as a Tsundere type of girl, and wish the show will feature more of her in the future.**

 **Anonymous. MISTER Anonymous: Thanks for the prise! And I'm working on a fantasy novel and write this just for the cheap laughs since I don't have to put a lot of effort into writing it, so the updates are slow, but steady. Now, onto your questions: Killing each other means killing each other. I've said numerous times that the story is about to take a seriously dark and borderline messed-up turn. I just gotta finish a few arcs before I can start writing the good stuff! Do you mean Jackie in the show, or Jackie in my story? Because she is a key character in my story and you'll be seeing a lot of her in the future. Little is known about Eclipsa atm. From what I saw, she's actually one of those 'I've been right all along' villains. Eh, not a fan of the music. It says on my profile that I'm mostly into Power Metal with fantasy lyrics.**

 **RobLebron: The dude's not evil xD. Why do you guys keep suspecting him xD? And I've already mentioned that the relationship they have in the show basically is couple-like, minus holding hands and kissing, which is why I'm retaining it for the most part. And I live in Europe, why would I celebrate the 4th of July xD?**

 **Rock Raider: BRITTNEY! ARGH! Sorry, I just get triggered whenever people write her name as 'Brittany' instead of 'Brittney'... Anyway, how is that possible? He said that he was in love with her at the end of 'My Star' and I even mentioned the two interacting in the sneak previews. And I'm gonna figure something out, no worries.**

 **Captin Jar: Thanks for allowing me to use that in the story. This is my new favourite comment xD.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 2A**

Star returned with a set of crayons and a few sheets of paper in her hands. She sat down of the wooden floorboards and beckoned Shining and Zora to join her since there was more room on the floor than on her bed. The two complied to her gesture and formed a small triangle with her.

"Alright," began Star and held up an orange crayon.

No, there's no particular reason, she just likes orange.

The Mewman princess then began sketching onto the paper as she spoke to the prince in white, "Alright. So, you're saying that you have, say, 'till tomorrow evening to make Brittney wanna marry you?"

"Give or take a few hours, yes."

"Ok. So, from what I've seen, Brittney's into jocks."

"Jocks?" Shining tested the unfamiliar word. "What's a 'jock'?"

"Basically, a buff dude who's good at sports," explained Star and eyed shining, then added, "Basically, something that you aren't."

"Au contraire, my fair Princess Butterfly!"

The prince had an odd, smug tone to his voice, one that didn't lack confidence in the slightest. "I may not appear like it, but I am indeed a master of the art of swordsmanship, a blessing bestowed upon my family. I've fought my share of goblins, trolls, and even corrupt elves, and have thus far yet to yield to any opponent!"

Star and Zora stared blankly at the Prince, unmoving. Then, both burst into an uncontrollable and loud laughter, gasping for breath with each giggle that escaped. The prince stared at them meekly, confusion written across his face.

"Ha-ha, why are we laughing?" Zora asked, not fully aware of why she'd done the deed.

Star wiped a tear from her cheek and looked at the prince while grinning like an idiot. "A master swordsman, you?" Star said, unable to mask the mockery in her tone. "No offence," she continued, "But find that _extremely_ hard to believe."

The prince, for the first time since the wedding fiasco, glared angrily and placed both hands on his hips. "Yes! As a matter of fact, I've sparred with some of the best and finest swordsmen from all across the dimensions and have beaten them!" A mocking smirk found its way onto his face. "Including Mewni's champion swordsman!"

"What!?" Star yelped, in utter disbelief. Sir Lotkame was one of Mewni's generals and had trained with her a few times. The man was, to say the least, one of the most renowned swordsmen in over 17 dimensions, and would only train those who he deemed 'worthy of the sword' -which Star wasn't, and therefore her training was short-lived- so hearing that Shining of all princes was deemed worthy to receive his special training was absurd, almost.

And yet his expression was calm and confident. He wasn't making this up.

 _I wonder if Marco will have to train with him..._

The thought crossed her mind but she brushed it away. Marco would tell her all about his trial once he returned to Earth. For now, she had other issues to worry about.

In spite of what she'd just heard, Star remained uncharacteristically composed. "Alright, I'll believe you. But that doesn't really qualify you as a jock."

"Alright. What would be the qualification to become this... 'jock' you speak of?" asked Shining, seemingly over the whole 'swordsmanship' thing.

"I'm not too sure. But, from what I've seen, all of the jocks at our school play football, so I guess that would be a step in the right direction."

"Football?"

" _American_ Football," Star emphasised, her finger raised interpretatively. Marco had explained it to her some time ago; On Earth, the most widespread term for Football was the European one, which differed from the American one and was called 'soccer' in America, not football.

Yeah, she didn't get it either. But hey, no point in breaking her pretty-little-princess head over it, right?

She continued with her explanation. "Brittney's a cheerleader, so she hangs out with such guys a lot. So, in short, all you have to do is play football and I'm sure you'll get on her good side!"

"That sounds far too simple to work..." He pondered, doubtful about the simplicity of it all.

"Meh, we'll work out the details later." Star casually shrugged. "For now, all we have to do is get Brittney to see your jock side. And it just so happens that Justin and the rest of our football squad are holding practice as we speak!"

Shining had no idea who Justin was, but he assumed that he was the leader of this 'football squad' the Mewman princess was talking about. Either way, he'd find out eventually.

"What do you propose we do, then, Star?"

"Simple. I'll call Justin with my phone-" she said as she took out the Earthern long-distance communication device and displayed it proudly. "-and tell him to put you on the squad for today's training."

"And how exactly will that help me sway Brittney's heart in my favour?"

"She's a cheerleader, so she and her group will be holding practice alongside the football team. Once she sees how athletic you are, you'll have no problem convincing her to go out with you," explained Star with booming certainty in her voice. After all, who knew more about relationships better than a girl who was in a relationship, right? Although hers wasn't your stereotypical teenage romance, such as most girls of her age were longing for, but she had experienced such a romance before with her demon ex-boyfriend, Tom.

Thinking back on those times, she couldn't quite understand what she thought back then. She blames Pony Head for the 'rough phase' the two had gone through. Still, she can't claim that she _totally_ regrets _all_ of those times. Just around 99.99% of them. The 0.01 percent was fun, she had to admit.

Bottom line; She knew what she was doing.

Probably.

"So, are you in, or are you out?" she asked him, half-teasing, knowing what his answer would be.

Shining shrugged, and nodded; He literally had nothing to lose after yesterday's fiasco. And he trusted the princess. She resides on Earth, after all, so she definitely knew better than him about the Dimension's customs and dating rituals. Although, he wished they were as simple and as straightforward as in his Dimension, where you would bring the severed head of a troll to your beloved and let that be that. Which reminded him.

"Are the perchance any trolls in this dimension?"

"What? Err, no. Why?" Star asked with an arched eyebrow, dazed by the randomness of his question.

"Oh, no reason," Shining said, showing no further interest in the subject and leaving Star muddled. The princess, her expression still plastered with evident confusion, dialled Justin's phone number and placed the device to her ear, brushing away a few locks of her golden hair.

It rang a few times until the voice of a boy replaced the ringing.

" _Yo, Justin here._ "

"Hi, Justin. It's me, Star."

" _Oh, Star Butterfly! Haven't heard from you in awhile. How's it hanging?_ "

"Well, Mrs. Diaz finished hanging the clothes on the drying-rack already and-"

" _I meant 'how's it going?'"_

"Ohhhhhh-" cued Star, forming an O-shape with her mouth. "It's been going alright. Ya know, aside from nearly getting killed n'stuff, it's been going fine."

 _"Nearly killed? Woah, what happened?"_

"Eh, there was some assassin guy that wanted to kill me. No idea where he is, though."

 _"Sweet,"_ he replied, unaware of the true peril of the situation. Then again, she was she. _"So, why'd you call me?"_

"Oh, I just wanted to ask for a teensy tiny favour."

 _"Ask away, dude. Justin is at your disposal! ... For the next 2 minutes, then I gotta get to practice before the coach makes me run 10 miles as punishment for being late. Again..."_

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," said Star, grabbing the boy's attention. "But before I do, I need to ask something. Are Brittney and the rest of the cheerleaders gonna be practising alongside you today?"

 _"Yeah. They always do. Why?"_

"Well, a certain friend of mine wants to practice with you guys and grab her 'attention' if you know what I mean."

 _"... Wait. Some dude has the hots for Brittney?"_

"Yep!" Star exclaimed.

 _"... I'm interested. Who is this dude, and what is wrong with him?"_

"He's a prince from another Dimension," said Star, then added with a whisper, "And all I can say is, _a lot!_ "

"A lot what?" Shining asked, having overheard her.

"Oh, nothing, nothing! Just talking to my friend about... stuff! Hehe!" Star improvised. Shining seemed satisfied with the answer. Star noticed the accusing stare Zora was giving her; Somehow, the girl knew how to tell truth from deception. But she commented not, to Star's relief.

"So," Star returned to her conversation with Justin. "Can you help me out and sign him up for today's practice?"

" _You bet I can! No worries, Star. Just come over to the playground with the dude and we'll sort everything out!"_ promised Justin, happy to help a friend out.

Star smiled gratifyingly, even though the boy couldn't see it. "Great! See you in a bit! Bye!"

" _See ya."_

Star ended the call, a satisfied smile on her face, and looked at Shining.

"Well?" Shining asked, hoping for the best. From Star's cheerful expression, it seemed that things had gone well, but he had to make sure.

"You're all set. All we have to do is walk over to the football stadium and we can begin."

Shining returned her smile with even more glee and excitement. Perhaps she was right? Perhaps this plan of hers really would work!

Meanwhile, Zora looked bored and even let out a yawn.

"Tired?" asked Star, to which Zora shook her head.

"No, just bored. I don't really see why this is such a big deal..."

Star giggled. The princess often forgot that, despite Zora's mature attitude for her age, she was but a child and would have to wait for several more years before she would be introduced to the world of dating and finding true love.

Star would love to see that.

The Mewman Princess patted Zora on the head, much to the small girl's annoyance. Zora pouted angrily at her and crossed her arms defiantly. The small girl's angry expression was priceless, and Star gathered all of her willpower not to laugh.

"Do you want to come with us, or would you rather stay at home with Mrs. Diaz?"

Zora's temper passed, and she responded, "No. I'd rather go with you, if I may..."

Her shift from angry to humble and somewhat shy was so sudden and spontaneous that Star could hardly keep track. But she smiled and replied, "Of course, you can tag along! This way, you can learn something new about Earth's cultures and traditions!"

"I'd like that," replied Zora, sincerely and with a smile.

"It's settled then." Star gestured toward the door and the trio departed from the Diaz household.

 _Echo Creek Football Stadium  
_

 ** _(NOTE: I'd hate to interrupt the flow of the story, but I would ask you to forgive me if the description of American Football is off. I'm European, so I have no idea how the sport works, but I'll try not to humiliate myself! I hope Wikipedia won't betray me! Fingers crossed X!)_**

It was an arena.

At least, that's what Zora and Shining thought upon seeing the massive football stadium. It had several viewing platforms for spectators at its sides, all of which were protected by a protective net, a courtesy of Star's little 'mishap' a year or so ago. Fortunately, the major had actually been happy about the destruction she'd caused as it brought in insurance money from the government that allowed for some much-needed improvements to both the stadium and the town.

The grass of the playing field was seemingly divided into several sections by white lines sprayed across the lush ground. Zora asked Star to explain the meaning of those lines, but the princess was no expert and could only smile apologetically. Marco had explained it to her, once, but all of those confusing words - yard lines, goal lines, red zone, end zone, etc.- quickly drifted out of her head and into the clouds, or wherever it is that thoughts go once you forget them.

As the three walked onto the field they saw two groups of people; The first group consisted of boys roughly Star's age, who were dressed in strange combat outfits and battling among each other for what seemed to be a strange brown object. The second group and the one that interested prince Shining the most was a group of cheerleaders dressed in somewhat-revealing orange sleeveless outfits with skirts. They were currently standing atop of each other's shoulders and forming a pyramid. Atop the man-made pyramid was the person that sent the prince's heart aflutter.

The beauty that was Brittney Wong.

Suddenly, he was thankful for the revealing uniforms.

Star noticed the daze Shining was in and snapped her fingers numerous times, ending his little daydream of the raven-haired teen.

"I'm glad that you're a fan of the whole 'eyes on the prize' thing but you're not accomplishing much by just standing here."

"You're right. My apologies." He looked away shamefully and sighed. He then looked at Star, and said, "I'll not let my focus drift astray like that ever again! Now, where is the leader of that combat group you told me about? The ones clad in those battle suits." He pointed at the football team, who were high-fiving each other, probably having successfully executed one of their field manoeuvres that they would undoubtedly use against their next opponents.

Justin spotted the trio amid the field and signalled the rest of his teammates to continue drilling without him for a few minutes. The blonde boy made his way over to Star and patted her on the back, hard enough to nearly knock the Mewman Princess off her feet.

"Star Butterfly! How rad it is to see you again!"

"Justin, you see me almost every day in school!"

"Yeah, I know," he spoke as he removed his football helmet, revealing a bright smile underneath it. "I just haven't talked to you in, like, forever."

"Eh, I blame the producers for not giving side characters enough attention," Star said and shrugged.

"Huh?" Justin scratched his head in confusion. Zora and Shining, too, had no clue what the princess was talking about. "Dude, what do you even mean by that?"

"Forget about it," Star waved the topic off with a dull look and smiled. "Anyway, this is the guy I was talking about," she explained and pointed at the prince. "Alwaysland's very own prince Prince Shining!"

"Greetings, sir Justin!" Shining greeted the boy and extended his hand, offering him a welcoming handshake.

Justin stared blankly at the prince, then pointed a finger at him. "No offence dude, but what's with the stupid name? Did your parent's hate you or something?"

"See!" Zora suddenly exclaimed with glee. "I knew I wasn't the only one who thought so!" She stated proudly and crossed her arms.

Shining groaned, clearly unamused as he lowered his hand. Justin, meanwhile, stared at the small girl with a perplexed expression.

"Who's the little dudette?" He asked, looking at the small girl in the flower patterned dress, a cat mask resting atop of her purple hair.

"Oh, right, Marco and I haven't really introduced her to you guys, have we?" said Star apologetically. It's not that they didn't want their friends to know about the girl who was currently living with them, but they still knew very little of her and had yet to ask her about the attack, as Marco had promised to the Queen. Perhaps it was time to stop with the conservative attitude, provided that Zora seemed to have almost fully recovered from the trauma.

"Go on, introduce yourself. Justin's a good friend." The princess gestured Zora to step forward, which the girl did. She looked upward at the tall and masculine boy, waving her hand shyly.

"Hi. I'm Zora."

"Marco and I found her on Mewni awhile ago after some... unpleasant events and brought her home with us," Star added, wanting to avoid the same confusion that she had had with Prince Shining earlier this morning.

"A pleasure to meet you, little dude. The name's Justin, Quarterback and captain for the Echo Creek Academy's Awesome Opossums!" He proclaimed, pointing proudly at the symbol embedded on his right shoulder-plate and the captain's band on his right arm. Zora smiled in return.

How was is that every single one of Star's friends was so nice?

"So," Justin spoke to Shining. "If I heard correctly, you're the sucker that likes Brittney, right?"

"I do not merely like her!" proclaimed Shining in an overly-dramatic fashion, making whimsical gestures here and there. "I absolutely adore her! Her angelic voice! Her luscious hair! Her perfect face that even the greatest of all artists could not convey onto his canvas without shaming it! Her-"

"Uh, we _are_ talking about Brittney, right?" Justin whispered to Star, finding the Prince's description very... off...

"Yeah!" she whispered back as Shining kept ranting on and on about all the things he loved about the raven-haired girl.

"Ok, dude, I get the picture!" Justin interrupted him after having listened to his rant for a good minute and a half. "So, how can I help you out?"

"Well, captain Justin, I heard that you are one of those so-called 'jocks' which Brittney likes oh-so very much. Therefore, I wish to join your unit and train with you so that I may conquer her heart and make her mine!"

"So you wanna join the football team?" Justin asked for confirmation. Shining nodded, a near pleading motion.

"Can you sign him up?" asked Star.

"No problemo!" said Justin. "Just get yourself a uniform from that pile over at the bench and you can join us guys for some football practice," he said, pointing at a large pile of football uniforms on the other side of the field.

Shining blinked a few times. Something just didn't register with him.

"Is there no special ceremony or trial I need to partake in?"

"Well, we used to have new recruits chase down an opossum and lick its fur in front of the whole squad, but the animal protection service didn't like us doing that. They said we were traumatising the opossums..."

"Yuck!" commented Zora in utter distaste and showed repulse on her face. "I don't even know what an opossum _is_ and I'm glad you don't do that anymore!"

The trio looked at her briefly before returning to the conversation among one another. "So, yeah. Just grab yourself a uniform and come on over once you're ready," said Justin to Shining and strapped his helmet back onto his head and rushed over to the rest of the boys, ready to resume training.

"Will you help me outfit myself," he asked the two girls. Both nodded and they walked across the field, eager to find Shining a set of 'armour' and commence Star's little scheme. Star was confident that absolutely nothing could go wrong.

 _Meanwhile, on Mewni_

Marco was still sitting on the throne, tired and bored. Since he had nothing better to do, he decided to make a mental Diary of his thoughts as the time passed.

 _Hour 1: Nothing eventful has happened. There was a fly flying around me and it got annoying. Sadly, I couldn't move to grab it or shoo it away._

 _Hour 2: The fly landed on my nose. We've become allies now. I named him Martin. Also, I think I got a cramp from sitting here for so long._

 _Hour 3: Martin betrayed me and flew out the window. Now I'm alone. And bored._

 _Hour 4: I wonder what trouble Star has gotten herself into while I've been sitting here._

 **End of Part 2A!**

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **Well, this was amusing to write :P. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and criticism!**

 **Well, 'till next time, whenever that'll be! Bye!**


	27. Thoughts on The Battle for Mewni

**Alright, as mentioned in the previous author's notes, I'll rant about the 'Battle For Mewni' movie special, its ups and downs, and give my overall opinion at the end.**

 **WARNING: This rant contains spoilers and IS NOT mandatory to read if you wanna keep up with my story. It's merely me voicing my thoughts on the movie special, and will contain SPOILERS! You've been informed.**

 **Alright, so I'm gonna break it down into individual acts or Episodes to avoid any confusion.**

 **But before that, I FUCKING LOVED RIVER! He was without a doubt the best Character in the special, for me.**

 _ **Return to Mewni:**_

 **Alright, this Episode started off as humorously with Marco mourning Star's sudden departure, although I was a bit disappointed that he didn't mention her confession at any point. Regardless, it was sweet how Star spied on him and called him a 'cute idiot', meaning that's she's not afraid or ashamed of her feelings toward him. And the fact that she took his (smelly) hoddie was touching. Moving on, I loved how we got to further explore Moon's relationship with Star and how deeply she cares for her, although hiding the truth was a bad move. The fact that the Magic High Commission were now balloons and got stuck in a tree was hilarious, as was the 'Keeper of the Sanctuary' and how Moon 'talked to him'. So the mixture of humour and seriousness was spot on. Inside the sanctuary... a candy (corn) machine, seriously? Does that thing run on magic or electricity xD? Finally, the part where it is revealed that Toffee and his minions had killed Moon's mother was something I didn't expect, definitely a dark turn of events.**

 _ **Moon the Undaunted:**_

 **First of all, I loved the English accents they gave young Moon and the other nobles; It was very fitting. I wasn't expecting Mina Loveberry to have been one of Mewni's generals. Which makes me wonder; What in Oblivion happened to her xD!? Anyway, I loved that fact that young Moon herself acknowledged that she was far too young and inexperienced to be Queen instead of showing confidence from the very start. I expected her to be even more lost and sad than she was. But seriously, the jokes about her dead mother weren't cool in my book. I understand that you have to add humour, but you can do that in other ways besides joking about the fact that a 14yold's mother got murdered! Next, I loved the sweet relationship of young Moon and River. So cute ^.^! Queen Eclipsa was awesome, and I wonder why she was imprisoned, honestly. I am hoping that they make her into one of those 'I was right all along' characters since she does seem smart and very powerful. Oh, and the 'B4' thing killed me xD. Moving onward, I loved Moon's attitude after learning how to defeat Toffee but I was expecting something even more terrifying to happen for him to hold such a huge grudge, although Toffee does seem like the kind of character to keep his calm and walk away, so idk. I'm only bummed that the whole 'war between monsters and Mewmans' wasn't explained.**

 _ **Book be Gone:**_

 **Just when I think Ludo can't become even better, they show this Episode and prove me wrong. He was very funny, as always. The book having a mind of its own was a surprise and makes me wonder who made it and when. Anyway, the thing I'm most excited about; The Mermaids! Don't tell me that the whole 'If you cut off a Mermaid's tail you can no longer be Queen of Mewni' was just for fun and jokes after they showed actual Mermaids! And I was both surprised and, admittedly, let down that the book just... burned like that. Seriously, it's a powerful magical object and you expect me to believe it's THAT easy to destroy? Meh. Glossaryck burning with it as he confronted Toffee for the final time showed his connection with the book, and made me question what Glossaryck is! I know he's a powerful magical being who created the Magical High Commission, but perhaps he's something more?**

 _ **Marco and The King:**_

 **Fucking love River xD! Pardon my language, but he was just sooooo damn good in the Episode, although hosting parties was a bonehead move xD. When Marco showed up, I was surprised that he seemed rather calm, although evidently worried for Star's safety. It also makes me wonder; There was a 2-3 day gap before Marco came to Mewni in search of Star, so what happened on Earth during that time to make him seem so... composed. No offence, but he was a fucking train-wreck when Star left... Moving on, River killed it with his interaction with his subjects, with the whole 'you gotta let one building burn down every once in awhile'. Also, the gag with the monster had me laughing. This arc was probably my favourite part of the whole movie special. It also ended with a band, what with Ludo's (Toffee's) invasion and all.**

 _ **Puddle Defender:**_

 **Ayy, Buff Frog! He's one of my favourite Characters and I loved seeing him and his kids. I also liked the parallel between him and Moon; Both showed concern for their children and wanted nothing but to ensure their safety (Although, sorry Moon, taking the wand away from Star was definitely stupid, corrupt magic or not.) Anyway -gosh, I use this word way too often but whatever- Moon and Ivgeny's little chat while playing the board game really gave us a good perspective of the situation on Mewni, with each side seeing the other as the vile and cruel one. I'm really interested in the events, although I'd side with the monsters, from what little evidence I've been provided with. It does seem that the Mewmans were the ones who invaded their lands, although it's merely a suspicion that I can't confirm. Moving on, I liked the brisk ending, with Kartina talking to Star and saying 'yeah, she's gonna die' after the princess left with no plan.**

 _ **King Ludo:**_

 **Honestly, I don't see who's the worse King; Ludo or River xD. I'd guess that it's Ludo since he tried to set up a dictatorship. And River, WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU EAT THE BUTTER XDDDD!? It's raw butter! Argh! I just couldn't get enough of this guy xD. Sorry, back to the rant/review: Ruberiot and his band of entertainers were something I wasn't expecting to see and have no real opinion about them. Apart from the Mime Girl, she's an artistic genius. The one fluke I noticed was the time span of this Episode; Are you seriously expecting me to believe that it took Marco 24 hours to steal a key, or that Ludo slept for 24 hours, because he didn't do much else during that time... As if I couldn't have loved River enough, he decides to face his death without a hint of fear. Seriously, I love the dude. The Episode ended on a high-note, with Marco deciding to take matters into his own hands. Good job, Safe-kid!**

 _ **Toffee:**_

 **First question; How incompetent must Ludo's guards be to not notice Star sneaking around in a giant rat costume? Seriously... Now, onto my favourite part of the special, the reunion of Star and Marco! I gotta say, they were apart for only a few days yet hugged as if they'd been separated for months, maybe more. Another sign that Star's no longer afraid of her feelings was when she called Marco 'cute' while he was wearing the French beret. Also, I'm not sure about this, but I am fairly confident that Star wanted to ensure Marco safety and therefore refused to cooperate with him, which would put him in even more danger. How sweet ^.^! Thing escalated quickly from that point onward, and we got to see another side of Star which showed that there is more to her than just her 'rebellious princess' attitude; She can be very serious and determined at times, even willing to give up her own life if it means protecting her friends and family, a sacrifice she was willing to make when casting the whispering spell that would likely destroy Toffee, but the resulting explosion would kill her. I was expecting her to be seriously injured after the balcony blew up, but wasn't expecting her to end up in Ludo's body! Now, here's a complaint I have: We never got an explanation of how Toffee was doing all of this! Seriously, how did he corrupt the wand, how was he in control of Ludo's body, and how the hell was he able to absorb and corrupt so much magical energy? They really should have cleared that up. Eh, whatever. Once Toffee demanded his finger in exchange for Star, she, yet again, wanted to sacrifice herself to prevent Toffee from gaining his full power back. Girl, I know you're the heroine, but you gotta stop being so damn selfless! Then, Toffee didn't keep his promise and told them Star was dead... what a surprise :O! I was not expecting the _main villain_ to _not_ keep his promise! _*Audible gasp*_! With Star being 'dead', the corruption on Moon's hands spread and the diamonds on her cheeks darkened. I think it was a good portrayal of what happens when someone you hold so dearly is torn away from you and you're powerless to stop it. Moon snapped and she even tried to cast her darkest spell on him and destroy him, but it didn't work, meaning that Eclipsa must be in control of the magic behind the spell, not Moon. We also got to see Marco's reaction. Damn, he punched a hole straight through Toffee's heart and ruined his suit, yet he can't put a straw in a damn juice box xD! Star must've really meant a lot to him *wink* *wink*. Sorry, that's my inner shipper talking. Anyway, Toffee is one mean dude, not giving Ludo any satisfaction right there! That's just mean. This part of the movie was by far the darkest and saddest one that actually had me on the edge of my seat. Moon left completely helpless and desperately trying to bring Star back. Star nearly drowning in the black sludge and crying her eyes out... I thought this was a goddamn kids' show, and then you do stuff like that! Next up, *ahem*, GLOSSARYCK YOU PIECE OF... Seriously, what the hell are you doing!? Making damn soup and not giving a damn about anything xD!? I both love him and hate him for his indifference. **

**Then, the final act, Star's transformation. I gotta say, as a guy who's actually watched the entirety of Sailor Moon, I could see the resemblance. Then again, the original concept for the show was heavily influenced by Sailor Moon, so it came as no surprise. So, the wand has evolved even further and looks even better than the previous two versions. Nice. Back to Star's transformation, she is definitely special amongst the Mewmans, what with being a golden radiant Butterfly that annihilated Toffee while smiling like a psychopath. That smile was honestly creepy, I'm not gonna lie! I expect this form to come back into play in seasons 3-4 where she'll presumably, be fighting Eclipsa. I also suspect that Star will be corrupted by Eclipsa's magic and we'll get to see a dark and corrupted version of her mewberty form. At least, I hope so. I was let down by Toffee's defeat; I _think_ he isn't dead because that would be a pretty pathetic way to end it all... I mean, he0s some evil mastermind and Star just destroyed him, and Ludo dropped a pillar on him! So yeah, I hope we've not seen the last of him. **

**Onto the final act, I really like the fact that Ludo wishes to 'find himself' again and his hatred toward Star seems to have subsided. And Moon's sudden departure; Just what did Eclipsa do to her? And finally, *inhales*, RIVER, YOU GLORIOUS BASTARD! I KNEW YOU WERE ALIVE! This scene had me laughing with joy, as did most of the scenes involving him. I wonder how Moon will react to the whole 'King of the Eagles' thing xD. He's got A LOT of explaining to do!**

 **The closing scene was a good foreshadowing of the things to come. Eclipsa is now free, so a new trial awaits both Moon and Star, and Marco if he decides to stick around.**

 **That being said, I was expecting to see Marco and Star's thoughts at the end, but I guess they're saving it for Novermber.**

 **So overall, putting the nitty-gritty complaints aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and am super excited for the rest of season 3! Things are gonna be really dark, and I absolutely love it!**


	28. Chapter 7 3A

**A/N:**

 **Why I don't update more often.**

 **Alright, so I received yet another PM asking me why I update only twice, maybe 3 times a month. I've explained this a few times but mostly through replies to reviews asking the same thing, so here is the official answer for those of you who still don't know.**

 **Presently, I am writing a Fantasy/Romance/Adventure novel and have been devoting most of my quote-on-quote 'free' time to it. I aim to have it done by the end of 2017 and even plan on doing a little 'test run' before I have it professionally proofread and edited. I'll likely create a separate blog on Tumblr or some other site (Wattpad?) where I'll post the first few chapters and answer any potential questions. This isn't final but I want at least some feedback before I release it to the public (not that it's done yet; I just love planning stuff like this in advance).**

 **That being said, Fanfiction has become -more or less- that place I go to to have some fun and write without having to hard-focus on anything or put too much effort into structure and coherence, although I do have my standards. It's WAAAAAY easier to work with a Universe and Characters that are already developed than having to create your own world and Characters, although the latter is much more fun. I'm currently, hmm, around 200 pages into it? The estimated number will be around 300-350 (maybe 400) since it's ill-advised for new authors to release manuscripts much thicker than that, so I have a lot of work ahead of myself!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RedHood001: Thanks! Like I said, I still have a few arcs to complete before shit hits the fan, so the next few chapters will be filled with lighthearted humour. And Shining may be a wimp, but he's not dumb!**

 **RobLebron: Um, I'm gonna tell you something so you won't sound like an idiot if this subject ever comes up. You're confusing Europe (the continent) with the EU (The European Union; A political and economic union among certain European countries). England (Great Britain) IS part of both Europe and the European Union (Although the Brexit referendum for leaving the EU was a success and I'm not entirely sure where negotiations have been going, but I _think_ they'll leave) they've just always used their own currency, the Pound, instead of the Euro. Regardless, there are still many countries within the European continent that are not part of the EU, but that doesn't mean they aren't European. And Great Britain being an island is irrelevant; It's still on the Eurasian tectonic plate and a part of the European continent.**

 **Rock Raider: Huh, I never have that problem. I just keep my back straight when writing and sitting and have never experienced any back-pain. Then again, I am only 20... Anyway, how and why Brittney may fall for him was hinted in one of the previous Chapters ;). Thx, already corrected them. And sorry about that; As mentioned above, I half-try when writing fanfiction.**

 **amythestblade: Meh, probably. However, the spell was fueled by dark magic, so it shouldn't have had any connection to the good magic disappearing.**

 **Guest Sorta: Hehe, that part had me grinning. But still, the MVP was River :P.**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 3A**

 _We're getting closer to the source of the dark magical anomaly, master._

"And you're sure it's him?"

 _I'm not omniscient, master. I can merely detect and pinpoint sources of strange and unstable magical energy. It could be anything._

"Right, right. Sorry. I'm just..."

 _Nervous?_

Comet nodded. In her situation, anyone would be. After all, she could be mere moments away from confronting the man who'd murdered her mother. The place she and Cosmos were at was certainly fitting for an assassin; A ruined temple on some dwarf-planet on the edge of the Milky Way, as people on Earth called the Galaxy. The planet was just on the edge of the nearest star's orbit and received little to no light or warmth, yet this didn't hinder strange plants from growing on its surface. Nobody in their right mind would want to live here.

In short, a nearly perfect hideout for any criminal.

"I'm just not sure what to expect, you know?" she told her familiar while walking onward through the narrow corridors of the temple. Whatever civilisation had thrived on this desolate planet aeons ago must have been very persistent and intelligent to have constructed something so masterfully. This temple wasn't the only structure they'd seen. Comet and Cosmos had come across several stone houses, a few pyramids, and even chiselled statues of humanoids with four arms, all overgrown with purple vines and fungi.

The orb of light that was floating in front of them and helped them to see their surroundings revealed scribings on the walls of this ancient temple, symbols that even Comet's magic could not decrypt.

"I wonder what these symbols mean," she wondered aloud, hoping for Cosmos to have an answer. The small wolf could only shrug. He was just as clueless as her. "Well, I guess it doesn't really matter, huh?"

 _Indeed. What matters is that we find the source of this unstable magic and put a halt to it._

"You've got that right. This place is starting to creep me out. How much farther is it?"

 _A hundred feet or so. The disturbance is very faint, but you should sense it, soon._

The magical Wolf's statement proved to be true. After taking only a few steps, Comet's heart-shaped wand began glowing and she could sense something ominous was afoot. While she didn't have the same senses as Cosmos, she, along with all other magic users, had the ability to sense dark and light magic when it was close enough.

"I can feel it, too. We must be very close."

They stopped in front of a solid stone door engraved with the same symbols that were on the walls of the temple. Upon touching it, Comet could feel a strong resistance. She fired a bolt of lightning at it with her wand. It rebounded and whipped past her, just as expected. She frowned.

"It's sealed with a magical barrier. Think you can break it?" she asked Cosmos. The small wolf was like a magical sponge; He could absorb a large quantity of magical energy, convert it, and release it in a less-dangerous form if need be, all while not sustaining any long-lasting damage.

 _Hmm... The spell feels strong. I can definitely break the barrier, but it'll take awhile._

"Well, it's not like we're in a hurry." Comet sat down and pulled out a book from her pocket. "You see to getting that door open, while I look for a spell that may be powerful enough to break it instantly."

Cosmos did not protest to his master's orders and walked closer to the door. He closed his eyes. The mark on his forehead radiated with blue magical energy as he formed a link between himself and the door before him, focusing on breaking the seal. Comet opened the tome and began reading it, hoping to find an incantation that would save them some time.

 _Earth_

"And... done!" Star clapped her hands in excitement after putting a football helmet onto Shining's head, thereby completing his outfit.

"I must say, this is truly a fine work of craftsmanship," Shining commented, taking a good look at himself as best as he could through the football helmet's front opening that was protected by a face shield. "The helmet feels oddly soft from the inside."

"Protective foam," explained Star. "Anyway," the princess spoke as she examined him proudly. "I gotta say, it looks good on you! Does it feel tight anywhere?"

"Thank you for the compliment, and no, it fits like a glove." Shining formed a fist with his right hand tapped the top of his helmet with it. "And I must say, this helmet is of the finest craft, as well!"

"You guys finished yet?" they heard someone yell from across the field. It was Justin. Star shot him a thumbs up and the boy returned his attention to the football practice at hand.

Star turned to Shining, and said, "Ok. You're all set, so you can just go ahead and join the rest of the football team!"

"What'll you be doing in the meantime? You won't just leave me here, right?"

"Haha, no. I'll go over to Brittney and the rest of the cheerleaders and make sure your future gal notices you." She was referring to Brittney.

"And what can I do to help?" Zora asked, having been left out of the conversation and Star's plan. The princess smiled apologetically at her.

"Um, Zora, this is something you can't really help out with."

"Oh..." the small girl murmured dejectedly and looked at the ground. Star's heart ached at the sight, so the princess swiftly added, "But you can come with me and talk to the girls! I'm sure they'd love to meet you!"

Zora's frowned turned upside down **(** **A/N: Sorry for the cheesy wording, I couldn't resist :P)** and she nodded excitedly. She'd thought that Star was just going to tell her to sit down and stay out of the way while she and the strange prince carried forth with the plot, so hearing this brightened her mood.

Star dismissed Shining and the Prince made his way over to the football team, where he was greeted by Justin, who paused the training to give him a proper introduction.

"Guys, meet our newest member whose name is probably as stupid as those Twilight movies, Prince Shining!"

"And before anyone asks, NO, my parents did _NOT_ hate me," the prince cut in. Two football players lowered their hands, probably having had the intention to ask that exact question. "A pleasure to meet you, brave warriors, and thank you for granting me a set of your armour."

"Yo, Justin, dude, where'd you find this guy? At a Renaissance fair?" A brown haired boy, slightly taller than Justin and a bit leaner, asked. His tone was one of general curiosity, not mockery.

"Nah, he's one of Star's pals. Ya know, 'from another dimension' kinda thing. A Prince, no less!" explained Justin and wrapped an arm around the prince. "So check this out, dudes! This poor sucker over here has the hots for one of our school's cheerleaders and needs our help to get things started with her. If you know what I mean." Justin finished his sentence with a cheeky wink at Shining.

"Alright. Sounds cool," Another one of the players commented. "But which one of the girls is he interested in, cause I've already called dibs on Sabrina." The rest of the football players eyed the boy inquiringly. "What? I like the shy and quiet types!"

"No worries, man," said Justin calmly. "Believe it or not, this dude over here wants none other than the Captain herself!" Justin pointed at one of the girls. The players followed where Justin indicated, only to meet the most unlikely of targets at the end. Brittney Wong.

"You're not serious, right?" The brown haired boy from before asked, this time directing his question at Shining. The prince smiled confidently.

"Why would I not be serious? She's all that my mind's been able to focus on since the day I first laid my eyes upon her breathtaking beauty," Shining proclaimed, staring dreamily at Brittney as she yelled angrily at two of her fellow cheerleaders after they'd messed something up. Or maybe she was just yelling at them for nothing, who knows? Yet, the raven-haired girl's burst of anger sent Shivers down the prince's spine; Oh, how gorgeously vicious she looked! If only his royal painter was here to capture the stunning image for all eternity so that he could look upon it each and every day for the rest of his life!

"Uh, so," the brown haired boy began inquisitively, "Since you're a prince from another dimension, does that mean you want to take her with you once you leave n' stuff?"

"Absolutely! I intend to make her my bride, after all."

"Guys, we gotta help this dude out! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we cannot afford to mess it up!" The boy yelled upon hearing Shining's words. Immediately, and with voices just as loud and determined, all of the boys agreed.

Shining smiled warmly, a tear threatening to fall from his left eye, which he abruptly wiped away. "Oh, you Earthlings are so kind! You must cherish Brittney dearly to wish her such a fine and exotic life!" Shining declared, completely misinterpreting the boys' true goal. They just wanted to be rid of her! Brittney was a looker, but no amount of good looks could make up for her total bitc-... 'high-strung' personality, which the prince adored for some reason.

Speaking of Brittney...

"Alright, girls, it's time to take 5 and drink some water. I don't want anyone of you wussies collapsing because of dehydration. Again!" The cheerleaders broke formation and obeyed Brittney's orders. They sat down on a nearby bench and began chatting with one another, their moods bright. Brittney didn't join them but instead took out a small pocket mirror from her purse and began fixing her hair.

"Look! It's Star Butterfly!" One of the girls said, pointing at the approaching princess. The girls seemed to like her, which was evident as they stood up and walked over to greet her with cheerful smiles. Apart from Brittney, of course. She merely rolled her eyes and continued staring at her own reflection with an indifferent attitude.

"Hi, guys!" Star greeted the group, her face beaming with her trademark smile. She didn't know the girls that well, but friends were friends, and she loved having friends. The more the merrier, as people say!

"Hello." The group eyed the owner of the tiny voice with wide but curious eyes. Zora stood next to Star, holding her hand.

"Are you babysitting someone's kid?"

Zora glared angrily at the girl who'd made the comment. She didn't like being referred to as a little kid. Star had to stop herself from letting out a giggle as she didn't want to further anger the small girl.

"No, no, nothing like that. Her name's Zora and she's staying with me and the Diaz family. Marco and I found her on Mewni and took her in."

Zora nodded somberly, confirming Star's words. "I really like it here. Star is super nice!"

"Aww!" The girls cued in unison upon hearing those words.

"She's so adorable!" Sabrina said, placing both hands on her heart and smiling warmly at the small girl.

"Hmph!" Zora pouted angrily. Again, she didn't appreciate being treated like a baby. Yet her anger did not have the desired effect as the group of girls commented about how cute she looked when she was angry. Even Star couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"She doesn't really like anyone but myself calling her that." It was strange. She hadn't asked Zora why, but the girl only allowed Star to give her such compliments. Even Marco and Angie received a glare whenever the word escaped their mouths. Maybe Zora was particularly fond of her? Then again, Star, too, had become very attached to the girl over the short period of time that two two had spent together.

"That's because I really like it when someone as pretty as you compliments me," Zora said unexpectedly, earning a surprised look from Star. The princess smiled at the girl and thanked her.

"Wow!" One of the girls commented, grinning at the two. "You two are just like..." The girl cut her annotation short and chuckled whilst shaking her head.

"Like what?" Both asked in unison, curious to know what the end of her sentence was.

"Um, never mind. It's nothing important. Just forget I said anything." The cheerleader changed the subject for reasons unknown. "Anyway, where's Marco? It's rare seeing you without him around, what with the whole engagement thing you two have going on."

By now, the entire town knew of Star and Marco's current relationship status. They didn't really bother keeping it a secret, although Marco was flustered whenever Star proudly displayed her not-wedding ring and boasted about having the best dork in the universe as a boyfriend. Marco quickly got used to the constant teasing the two received on a daily basis, which was nothing unexpected, given their young age and the fact that, prior to the engagement, both would constantly deny having any romantic feelings toward the other and claim that they were just best friends, nothing more, nothing less. (Unbeknownst to either of them, most of the townspeople had been involved in a bet whether the two would hook up or not.)

"Oh, Marco's on Mewni doing some thing. Ya know, royal obligatutoational stuff," explained Star, cheering for Marco on the inside.

"Uh, you mean obligational?" Chantal, the girl with shoulder-long brown hair who'd been at Brittney's party a year ago, corrected the Mewman princess.

"That too," Star affirmed, briskly as ever.

"Ok. And what is keeping him busy?"

"Meh, some big fancy 'trial' every future king of Mewni has to take. Hunting giants, jumping headfirst into a Volcano, that kinda stuff," Star explained casually, without a hint of concern evident in her voice.

"Alright, my curiosity has been sated." Chantal followed up with another question. "So, what brings you over? Finally decided to join the squad?"

"Nope. I've already told you a bazillion times! The only uniform I'll ever wear is a combat uniform!" Star declared. With her agility and inhuman strength, she would have made a fine addition to the cheerleading team, even Brittney wouldn't be able to deny that, but the princess simply refused to wear a cheerleader uniform that didn't offer any protection against evil foes. She had her standards, after all.

"That's a shame," replied Chantal. "Then why are you here? I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but there's not a whole lot of stuff to do around here, other than practice."

"Actually, I came here with a very specific reason, one that you guys are gonna help me with!" Replied Star. The girls eyed her curiously, awaiting further explanation, which the princess promptly provided them with. "See that guy over there?"

The girls followed the tip of Star's finger and spotted a rather small football player they hadn't seen before. He was easy to spot as he held a sword with a football impaled on it. Justin was busy explaining something to him, probably that the use of actual weapons was forbidden.

"Wait a minute." Sabrina narrowed her eyes to better focus on the boy and widened them upon recognising his face through the helmet. "Isn't he that prince that wanted to marry you?"

"He is," confirmed Star before raising a questioning eyebrow at Sabrina. "Wait. How did you know that?"

"I saw you two walking down the street with Jackie and Marco awhile ago, so I paid Janna to give me the scoop." Sabrina then added, "By the way, that girl creeps me out. She knows way too much about everything and asked me if I was interested in buying a pair of Marco's boxers..."

"So _that's_ where they disappeared to! I told Marco it wasn't me!" Star made a mental note to talk to Janna about that. "Anyway, he came to Earth today and asked me to help him win Brittney's affection, so I told him that she's into jocks and that he should join the football team."

"A prince is interested in Brittney?" One of the cheerleaders, a short girl with black hair braided into a ponytail and braces asked. Star nodded.

"Yep." A brunette cheerleader confirmed, with a blonde one nodding. "I, Zoey, and Brittney, went shopping the other day and the dude literally jumped out of a portal and asked her to marry him."

"That's so romantic!" Chantal commented.

"Yeah, well, Brittney wouldn't have any of it! She called the cops and filed a restraining order against him!" The brunette finished, then looked at Shining. "I gotta hand it to the dude, he sure is persistent if he's come all the way out here just to get her attention. But I got a feeling that he's not gonna find any success with that..." She said, somewhat admiringly but also aware that his chances to actually gain Brittney's favour didn't really exist or were just barely there.

"Which is why I came with him," said Star. "He doesn't have a lot of time to convince her, so if we're gonna make something happen, it's gotta be soon!" Declared the princess, then looked at the cheerleaders with hopeful eyes. "You girls know Brittney way better than I do. Could you help me out?"

"Hmm..." Zoey rubbed her chin in thought. "We can try, but it's gonna cost you."

"Alright. What do you want in exchange?"

Zoey and the rest of the cheerleaders exchanged knowing looks, then smiled devilishly at Star. "Nothing much. We just want **_you_** to drop your silly pride and finally join the cheerleading squad!"

Star frowned. They knew about her policy; The only uniform she was willing to wear was a combat uniform, plus the dances that the girls did weren't even battle dances for crying out loud! But she needed their help is she wanted to succeed in time, she was well aware of that...

But her policy...

But her promise to help Shining...

But wearing that stupid uniform...

But helping out a friend...

"Do we have a deal?" Zoey asked and offered a handshake to Star. The princess sighed defeatedly and squeezed her hand firmly.

"Deal."

 ** _End of Part 3A!_**

* * *

 **Well, hope you liked it. Next week I'll update 'The Tale Ends' and then start working on the next chapter of this story. Feel free to leave a review, and make sure to favourite and follow the story so you don't miss anything!**

 **'Till next time!**

 **Bye!**


	29. Chapter 7 4A

**A/N: I'm majorly behind schedule, and I must apologise for that. My last 2 weeks have been hell; Not only did I spend a lot of time filling out transfer forms and driving around from one place to another to get things sorted out with both Universities and my dorm (Why does transfering have to be so overcomplicated...) but I also fell sick during the biggest heatwave of the Summer and couldn't even move properly for a solid 4 days, let alone write. So yeah, I'm sorry for the delay, and I hope to get things sorted out soon and get back on track with both fanfiction and my novel.**

 **Anyway, I cut this one a little short, but the good news is that I'll update the next 2 mondays in a row! Yay!**

 **Also, my Beta-reader is on vacation, so this one wasn't given a final verdict. I just want her to enjoy her vacation ^^**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **robertkellett: Yeah, I'm giving side characters actual attention and development, something which the writers of the show have failed miserably. That's my style; Every character is important and gets screen time.**

 **Rock Raider: Pluto? The fuck? I said somewhere on the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, not our Solar system xD. But yeah, Star's cheerleading will definitely be creative. And yes, you've guessed it. The entire purpose of this fanfic has always been to soothe my perverted thoughts by hooking up 2 underage girls...**

 **RedHood001: Well, I'm glad I'm keeping you entertained. And I'm also anticipating that movie.**

 **Mario and BFDI Bros: Yeah, I ain't replying to 4 reviews xD. I'll reply to the next one**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 4A**

"So, let me get this straight," said Brittney, her words aimed at her fellow cheerleaders. She was clearly displeased with the situation, as her tone and facial expression indicated. "Without consent of me, the _captain_ of our school's cheerleading squad, you girls went ahead and accepted a new member, who turns out to be none other than Star Butterscotch-"

"Uh, it's Butterfly..." commented Star with a raised finger, but was ignored by Brittney, who continued her displeased rant.

"- and didn't even discuss the matter with me or ask me for permission?" The girls nodded shamefully as Brittney finished her rant. Brittney sighed angrily and looked at the Mewman Princess. "And you. I _thought_ you didn't want to join the cheerleaders because you hated our uniforms?"

"I never said I hated them. I just don't see the value they'd provide in combat! What's the point of a uniform if it doesn't provide combat stats!?"

Brittney paid no mind to Star's trivial outburst and coolly continued, "Alright. Then explain to me. Why the sudden change of heart, hmm?"

"Uh..." Star pondered for an answer. Revealing her true motives would ruin the plan, so she needed a good, believable excuse that would simultaneously get her on Brittney's good side. After a small eternity, Star answered in an uncharacteristically nervous voice "I... saw how cute and awesome you looked and wanted to be more like you! Yeah! That's it!"

Brittney regarded her with narrowed eyes. "Well, I _am_ the prettiest girl this school has ever had and will ever have," she said smugly. The rest of the girls swiftly agreed.

"Soooo... Is that a yes?"

Brittney sighed and kept a stern look glued on Star. "Well, from what I've seen, you have a strength equivalent to that of a grown gorilla -and an intellect to match- so having you around would definitely allow for us to assume more challenging poses..." Brittney kept tapping her chin as she made her assessment. "I guess having you as a backup cheerleader wouldn't hurt..."

"A backup cheerleader?"

"Yes. A backup. I'm not dumb enough to let you become a fully fledged member after you booby trapped the stadium last year, but I am willing to have you as a reserve who will fill in for one of the girls in case they can't make it or are injured. In short, I'm allowing you to train with us but won't let you cheer at our football team's matches until I no longer consider you a threat to society," Brittney explained. "So, do you accept my terms?"

"Sure. Sounds reasonable enough," replied Star cheerfully.

"Alright then, welcome aboard the Echo Creek Academy Cheerleader Squad," Brittney said, evidently not too thrilled or keen on having Star as their newest member. As the other girls began clapping their hands to welcome their newest member, Brittney shot them a venomous glare. "No clapping!" she yelled. The girls stopped immediately, smitten with fear.

"Sorry..." they murmured in apology.

Brittney rolled her eyes and brushed away a strand of loose hair. "Whatever. Just get back to practice. Brake's over."

The girls all headed back to the spot on the field where they usually practice, while Brittney lingered behind with Star. The raven-haired girl put an arm on her hip and assumed a smug pose.

"You don't have a uniform yet, so you can't join us for today's practice," she told Star. "But you can stick around and watch, as long as you don't interrupt us or annoy me, got it?"

Star nodded and have Brittney a thumbs up while flashing a smile. Brittney turned her back to Star and was about to walk away when the princess stopped her.

"What?"

Star noticed how annoyed Brittney was, so she tried to keep it short. "So, Brittney. Out of curiosity, are you interested in anyone? One of the footballers, maybe?"

"What's with the sudden question? I thought I just told you _not_ to interrupt or annoy me!"

"I'm just making small talk. C'mon! You can tell me."

Star's attempts at persuading Brittney only further tested the girl's temper. Brittney smacked away Star's hand from her shoulder and stormed off angrily. Before she was entirely out of earshot, however, she turned her head around, and said, "If you must know. No. Now don't bother me again!"

Star let out a sigh of relief as she watched Brittney stomp over to the rest of the cheerleaders and begin talking to them. Star smiled to herself; This was perfect! Her biggest fear had been than Brittney 'had the hots' for one of the school's football players. That would have spelt disaster for her plan, which was already hard enough to successfully execute. But, since she wasn't after anyone, this meant that, with enough persistence and a bit of magic, she could perhaps make Brittney notice prince Shining and fulfil her end of the bargain.

However, it was up to him to actually impress her. Star could only ensure that Brittney was looking at him. And the timing had to be perfect, so she would have to set it up, somehow. Maybe she could talk to Justin and the squad and make sure they 'helped' the Prince look better than he actually was.

"She doesn't seem very nice..."

The comment that came seemingly out of nowhere snapped Star out of her thoughts. The tiny voice had come from Zora, who was standing next to her. The little girl had gone unnoticed by Brittney, and even Star had forgotten about her as she was busy focusing on other things. Zora was looking at Brittney and frowning; To say the least, Brittney's attitude hadn't left a good impression on her.

"Are you _sure_ she's your friend?" Zora mused. She was slowly putting together the real picture of the situation, which differed from the one Star had on her mind. Yet Star waved the remark away with a confident smile.

"Of course, she is! Brittney's just... well... Brittney. You just have to peel away all those layers of hatred and anger and you'll see that she's a very kind person underneath them! I think..."

"You don't sound very sure of that," Zora pointed out.

Instead of continuing the dispute, Star tugged Zora along as she made her way over to the football team. They were huddled up into a big circle and Justin was drawing tiny dots and arrows onto a sheet of blank paper. To Star, it looked like he was explaining combat strategies to the rest of the squad. But since this was Earth, they were probably just football manoeuvres. Nevertheless, the boys all seemed engrossed in Justin's words, including Prince Shining, who likely had no idea what Justin was talking about, but was pretending to fully understand the football captain.

"Justin, Shiny, can you guys come here for a second, we need to talk about something," Star said once she was in earshot. Justin cut his strategising short and nodded at the Princess. He and the prince broke away from the group and walked over to Star.

"What is it, Star? We're kinda busy over there, so I'd appreciate it if you could make this quick. I still have a lot of work to do with the guys." Justin didn't even bother removing his helmet as he spoke to the princess.

"Fine, I'll make it quick," said Star, letting go of Zora's hand and making motions with her hands to emphasise her words. "I found out that Brittney isn't interested in anyone, which means there's an actual chance that my plot will work."

"That's great 'n all, but why is it so important that we had to come over here for you to tell us?"

"Well, it means that he has a serious chance of getting her to notice him!"

"Annnd...?" Justin let the word hand in the air for a second, unsure what the princess was suggesting. Shining, too, seemed clueless.

Star, seeing that the two boys were too dense to catch on to what she was suggesting, -a trait that all males of this Dimension seemed to have in common- said, "What I'm saying is that you and the guys can make him look really good at training while I get Brittney to notice him. He does super amazingly good, she sees him and **poof**! The job is as good as done!"

"So you're basically asking me to tell the guys to act like a bunch of uncoordinated monkeys to have him look good?" asked Justin, wanting confirmation.

"Exactly!"

"I'm not sure if it'll work..." said Justin, sceptical of the whole idea. "Brittney sees us almost every day and knows how good we are. She might be a biiiiii-t um, high-strung, but she's far from being dumb. She'll tell that we're bluffing."

"It won't matter if she does or not. The important thing is that she sees him doing good. Every lady likes a man who's good at sports!"

"So that's why you like Marco? Because he's good at karate?" asked Justin.

"Huh? Oh, no. He has a great tush," Star responded instantly and without a hint of shame. Justin and Shining exchanged a few odd looks. They didn't know how to respond to her remark if respond at all. Although, they couldn't claim that they weren't guilty of the same crime when it came to the *ahem* opposite gender...

"So, any questions?" asked the princess, striking a confident pose by playing both arms on her hips.

"Yeah. What's in it for us?"

"Good. If there are no questions, then we may proceed with the plan! Just tell the guys to wait for my signal, and once I give it, start acting as uncoordinated as America's political system!" Star didn't give Justin a chance to protest, as she grabbed Zora's hand and dashed toward the cheerleaders, leaving the two boys alone once more.

There was only one conclusion Justin could make after hearing Star's little speech.

"Girls are weird," he told Shining.

The Prince chuckled and wrapped a friendly arm around Justin's neck. "Eh, women. You know what they say; Can't live with them..."

Justin blinked a few times, waiting for the prince to finish his sentence. His patience finally gave way and he said, "And...?"

"Hmm? No. That's it. You just can't live with them," Shining concluded bluntly. Justin nodded in agreement, then went to re-join his squad and tell them about the plan. They wouldn't be too thrilled with the idea of humiliating themselves in front of a group of the school's hottest girls, but the mere opportunity to rid themselves of Brittney was a counterweight that outweighed it by an inconceivable amount.

 _With the cheerleaders_

Brittney was having the girls perform a few routine moves while she was busy talking with the school's secretary over the phone. She was likely just telling her to register Star as the squad's newest member since Brittney didn't trust the princess and didn't want to drag things out, lest she may forget to do it. The sooner Star was registered, the sooner her Uniform would be manufactured and sent to the school.

Sabrina was the first to notice Star and Zora walking over to them, as she was still resting on a bench.

"So, what were you talking about over there?" she asked the princess once the distance between them was short enough that neither had to raise their voice. She invited Star and Zora to join her on the bench by tapping an empty spot next to herself. The princess and the little girl gladly accepted her invitation and had a seat.

"Well, I made arrangements with the football team," Star said while sitting down.

"Arrangements?"

"Yeah. I ensured that, no matter what happens, Shining's gonna look good on the field."

"Let me guess, you talked him into ordering the squad to act like a group of idiots and make the guy stand out, right?" Sabrina said with a smirk, already suspecting what kind of plot Star had stirred up.

"Well, more like told them what's gonna happen and then walked away before he could say anything back. Guys are so easy to manipulate." Star and Sabrina had a good laugh, while Zora grew somewhat concerned upon hearing the princess' words. "Anyway, that was the easy part. The hard part is gonna be timing it perfectly and making sure Brittney likes what she sees."

"Yeah. But even if she does, doesn't that guy have a restraining order against her? I doubt she'll be too thrilled once she finds out it's him."

Star shrugged. "Meh, we'll cross that bridge once we get there. Or burn it down, whichever comes first."

Sabrina gave her a curious look. "What do you mean by 'burn it down'?"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know..."

"Uh... ok..." Sabrina replied awkwardly. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Zoey waving for her to come over. Sabrina stood up and picked up her red pom-poms, and looked at Star. "Anyway, I gotta get back to practice. If you need any help with whatever you're doing, just lemme know."

"Thanks, but I have _everything_ under control," Star assured her, sounding very self-confident. Sabrina merely nodded and ran off.

"So, what's the signal gonna be?" Zora asked. "You know, for initiation of your plan."

"Oh, I dunno yet. I'll just improvise."

"How is that a plan?"

"I never said it was a well thought-out plan!" Star said with a raised finger and closed eyelids. "Besides, improvisation _is_ how I plan things."

"How can you plan to improvise? That makes no sense!"

Star chuckled and patted Zora on the head. "Zora, I know it may be complicated for you to understand, but you will once you're older."

Zora pouted angrily and crossed her arms in displeasure.

"I'm not a kid..." she murmured angrily, low enough for the words to evade Star's ears. Not like the princess was paying attention to her, she was instead looking at Brittney, who was still on the phone. Star looked at the football team to see whether they were practising, which they were, and smiled to herself.

"Zora, why don't you go to the girls and talk to them for a bit? I'm gonna head over to Brittney and get this party started!" Star exclaimed.

"Alright. Good luck," said Zora, smiling and sounding obedient, likely a courtesy of her years spent as a servant.

"Thanks!" Star responded as she dashed away, toward Brittney.

Zora's smile instantly dropped when Star was no longer looking at her. "This is going to backfire horribly..."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **So for those of you who think Zora is acting a bit smug, here are the character traits I wrote down for her when I was designing her:**

 **-Smart and observant, especially for her age**

 **-Shy**

 **-Has trouble opening up to new people, but outspoken to those she trusts**

 **-Kind**

 **-Easily irritated when called a child**

 **-Reserved attitude; Rarely speaks when it isn't needed of her, but quickly becomes engrossed in the conversation**

 **-Strong willed/Somewhat stubborn**

 **-Has a dark secret**

 **Note that these are just some of her characteristics, and change over time.**

 **Expected update: Next Monday!**


	30. A minor explanation

**Hey!**

 **I just want to inform you guys as to why the promised double Monday update didn't come as I'd said it would in the notes. Well, the next Chapter is actually finished, but instead of posting two smaller updates, as I'd intended, I've simply decided to combine them into one singular larger chapter and conclude this story arc with a single update this Monday.**

 **I'm still working on the second half of the Chapter, but it'll definitely be done in a day or two, then I'm gonna send it to my Beta-reader and have it uploaded on Monday ^.^!**

 **I also apologize to any of you who were eager to read the continuation of my story (Thanks for 35k reads, btw!) but you'll just have to wait a** ** _bit_** **longer ;)!**

 **Feel free to express your anger toward me in the reviews, I always love ticking people off :D!**

 **See y'all on Monday!**

 **Bye!**

 **-jolleIQ**


	31. Chapter 7A Final Part

**A/N: Well well well. Guess what, guys? It's been revealed that Moon's mother's name was *clears throat* _Comet_ Butterfly. **

**Her mother is named Comet. As in female. As in _feminine_ name! **

**What's that? You hear that sound? That's just the glorious sound of me being right, as usual.**

 **I'm kidding! I'm kidding!**

 **I'm not _that_ narcissistic. I'm just happy that the creators of the show agree with me -sorta- that Comet is a viable feminine name, not just masculine. Honestly, it's always sounded more feminine than masculine to me, but that's just my opinion. **

**Rock Raider: Same. I hate to admit it, but women and girls can 'persuade' me to do stuff for them and help them with ease. What can I say? I've always been a softie when it comes to girls, and I still believe that Chivalry isn't dead. And Zora has no dark ulterior motive; She's just far too smart for her own age, a courtesy of her rough upbringing and some... other things...**

 **RedHood001: Her secret is something even she isn't aware of. And Comet will return shortly; Note that the happenings on that strange planet and Earth/Mewni are simultaneous, and it didn't take very long for Star to talk with a few people.**

 **Starshine89: Ah, a new reader. Welcome ^.^! It's been awhile since I completed 'My Star' and I'm always happy when someone praises it, given that it was written back when I was still in High School and learning the ropes of writing. Personally, if I were to write it again, I'd probably improve a few things and remove certain details, but I'm still proud of it. + People seem to like it, so I guess I'm being harsh on myself. As for this Fanfic, it's no secret that the feedback was mixed when I posted the first few Chapters since I shifted the style to more Humour and less Drama, and also introduced Comet as a female character, but those were all conscious decisions and I'm proud of what I've written thus far, so hearing someone who actually understands why I did this (to allow the constant shifting between moods, from lighthearted to dark and grim) makes me very happy, and I hope you'll enjoy reading the rest of it! And, of course, I know where Hungary is, I have relatives there since I live in Prekmurje, a region close to the border. (I don't speak Hungarian, though; The sentence I most frequently use when someone tries speaking Hungarian with me is 'nem tudom')**

 **RobLebron: Zora's uneducated, since she spent her entire childhood as a servant. There is no error; If you read the last chapter, I introduced Zoey as one of the cheerleaders :). I have an odd obsession with names that start with the letter Z xD (I even named the main character in my novel 'Zofia' until I decided that I liked 'Sofia' better.) Oh, and I think Marco will enjoy the sight; I have some spicy stuff planned for that ;)!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Final Part (A)**

"Ah-ha!" Comet exclaimed enthusiastically and jumped upright, spellbook in hand. Cosmos, her magical familiar and wolf companion, broke the link between himself and the magically-sealed door to look at the blonde girl, whose resemblance to Star was nigh uncanny if one didn't take into account the minor height difference and lack of hearts on her cheeks.

 _Have you found anything, master?_ Cosmos asked her through their telepathic link. Since he couldn't talk, for he was still an animal -albeit a magical one-, telepathy served as the only way for him to convey his thoughts to her, although Comet could, more often than not, understand him by simply looking into his eyes and somehow reading his thoughts.

The said magical princess nodded, evidently satisfied, and read forth from the spell tome.

"Yeah, I have," she said and she stared into the book. "I can't believe I didn't think of this myself, actually. The barrier is way too strong for either of us to break, right?" Cosmos nodded at her statement. "Well, we don't have to _destroy_ it to remove it!"

 _I don't follow..._ As old and wise Cosmos may have been, even he was baffled by this statement. The only way to break barrier spells was to dispel it. That he was certain of. Comet's smirk, however, was claiming something else.

"I'm gonna give you a hint. It's a word that starts with the letter 'D'"

 _Comet!_ Cosmos yelled, his shock apparent. The blonde princess gave him a look of curiosity, unsure what had triggered the sudden outburst. _I can't believe you of all people would have such vulgar thoughts! How crass of you!_

She stared at the angry Cosmos, still searching for the roots of his anger. Crass? Why was that crass of her? All she said was...

Oh...

OH!

"For the love of God almighty, **NO!** Not _that_ word!" She yelled, a red tint caressing her cheeks. Now it was her turn to be angry. "I mean a word related to magic!"

Cosmos looked away, ashamed and embarrassed at his false accusation. In his defense, she was a teenager, and everyone knows what things slip out of tenagers' mouths from time to time...

 _Hmm..._ he pondered, quickly forgetting about the whole agenda he'd unintentionally stated. _Disperse?_

"Close, but no," said Comet, also seeming to have let go of the minor misunderstanding.

 _Discharge?_ was Cosmos' next guess. Again it was wrong.

Comet chuckled as she watched Cosmos struggle to find the word she had in mind. Finally, the small wolf gave up and sighed.

 _Alright, I submit. What is the method with which you aim to break the spell, then?_

Comet smiled triumphantly. It was rare for Cosmos to be the clueless one among the two, so she couldn't help feel the wiser, even if only for a moment.

"Disjunction," she said, at long last revealing the word. Cosmos could only incline his head to the side out of sheer curiosity, still not fully comprehending how disjunction was the solution to the problem at hand. Comet laughed upon seeing Cosmos' dumbfounded expression. Now it was her turn to take up the role of the mentor.

"Think of the barrier like a sheet of metal protecting the door. You can either try to break through it without the necessary tools to do so, or you can find where it's attached and just move it to somewhere it won't bother you. You understand, right?"

 _Well, I do now._ Cosmos laughed at his own naivety. _So instead of breaking the barrier, we momentarily separate it from the door and place it on another section of the wall, which won't require nearly as much energy or time. Good thinking._

Comet smiled proudly. Her look turned serious as she aimed her heart-shaped wand at the door.

"Well, here goes nothing..." Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Comet focused on the massive door before her, trying to find the source of the magic. Her eyes shot open and her wand flashed bright red, as did the door. The glow soon vanished and she exhaled, looking slightly wary.

Wordlessly, she walked over to the door and grabbed the handle. She pulled on the handle.

The door opened, and Comet descended deeper into the dark catacombs with Cosmos trailing a few feet behind.

 _Earth_

While the cheerleaders were busy perfecting old techniques and practicing new ones, a certain rebel princess had her eyes locked on one raven-haired cheerleader with a bit of an attitude problem. The said girl, who was bossing her fellow cheerleaders around, constantly providing them with new orders and not allowing even a moment of rest, was presently sitting on a chair at the edge of the field and yelling out orders through a megaphone.

"Chantal, for the last time! Your booty isn't impressive enough to hog the top of the pyramid! It has to be either me, Zoey, or Sabrina! **Now get off there!** "

Frowning sadly, Chantal hopped off the pyramid and assumed a slouched posture upon landing on the ground. She landed next to Star, who only said, "Well, it's not like I didn't tell you the same thing about a year ago."

"I know..." Chantal sighed and walked over to a group of three cheerleaders who were practicing their dancing.

"That girl needs to gain some boo-tey!" Star said to nobody in particular and made a 'tisk-tisk' sound with her mouth, then turned her attention to the football players across the field.

While the rest were practicing, Justin and Shining were standing off to the side and looking at her. They didn't want to miss her sign, whatever that was going to be. Justin tapped his wrist twice as if saying 'any time now!'.

With her hand, Star replied 'just hold on a bit longer' and turned her attention back to Brittney.

"What the-" she said to herself upon spotting Zora talking to the girl.

"How did she get there so fast?" Star questioned. She'd had her head turned away for roughly 5 seconds and Zora had meanwhile managed to cross a fair distance and engage in conversation with Brittney, who was, oddly enough, actually listening and responding to the small girl. Brittney's expression was hard to read, and Star was no expert and mouth reading either, so she had not a clue what the two girls were discussing.

The conversation ended with a Zora giving Brittney and single nod and bowing her head respectfully before returning to her seat. Star noticed Brittney look at the football players and rub her chin whilst narrowing her eyes, then dismissing whatever thought she had and yelling loudly through her megaphone, "Ok, girls. It's time to practice that new pyramid we've been discussing. Gather up and I'll join you in a few."

"Got it!" the girls said in unison and follow Brittney's instruction. Soon they were grouped up and waiting for further instructions. Brittney set her megaphone down and, standing up from her chair, joined her squad and started laying down instructions about what each of them would do. Naturally, being the most attractive amongst the girls, she would assume the position atop of the pyramid for all to see. Sabrina and a girl named Clara, the two tallest cheerleaders, would each be holding her up by one leg. Chantal and 5 other cheerleaders who were still 'lacking' would be at the bottom row of the pyramid. The middle 4 cheerleaders could be supporting Sabrina and Clara, and subsequently Brittney. Megan and Andrea would each be at either side of the girl-made pyramid doing a handstand while being supported by one cheerleader of the bottom row each.

"Ok then. Is everything clear, or do I need to explain something else?" asked Brittney. She took the silence as a 'no' and said, "Ok then. Remember: This is our first time doing this, so make sure to do it slowly and carefully. I don't want any of you getting hurt."

Just as the girls were about to reward her with a unified 'aww' for her concern over their safety and health, Brittney briskly added, "We've got a big game coming up next week, and I will _**kill**_ anyone who doesn't show up! Got it!?"

The girls' glee quickly turned into fear as they nodded with petrified looks on their faces. One girl at the back half of the group swallowed audibly.

"Good," said Brittney happily, her mood going back and forth like a swing. Brittney clapped her hands twice to signal the girls to start building the pyramid.

Some feet away from the rest of the girls, Star smiled to herself.

"This is perfect!" she said, delighted. "With Brittney on top of that thing they're gonna make, she'll have a full view of the entire field!" Star paced back and forth as the continued her self-conversation. "All I gotta do is make her turn and look in the right direction when the guys start doing their thing, and huzzah! Victory! This can't possibly go wrong!"

 _With Zora_

The small girl suddenly shot her head up and looked about herself in confusion.

"Why do I suddenly have the feeling that something is about to go horribly wrong...?"

 _Back to Star_

The Mewman Princess high-fived herself and took out her wand, which she used to summon her new compact spellbook, which was her original one, only miniaturized. (Read Chapter 4 of 'My Star')

"Now," she said to herself as she opened the book and set it on the ground. She flipped the pages until she stumbled upon a familiar blue figure who was busy cooking something in a brown cauldron and whistling to himself. His mouth curved upward into a delighted smile upon seeing the familiar figure before him.

"Hey, Star! How's it going? It's been awhile since you used this thing," Glossaryck said.

"Meh, I've been preoccupied with other stuff," Star shrugged it off and offered no further explanation to the small blue man, who didn't seem to mind and added bits of chopped carrot into the cauldron.

"That's great. So, what do you need? If you're hungry, this stew should be done in about 20 minutes-"

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass on the stew," the princess cut in before Glossaryck could rant for too long. "But I do need your help with something."

"Alright. How may I be of assistance to you, princess?" Glossaryck asked absentmindedly as he roamed through a mini-fridge, took out a hunk of purple meat, and threw it into the stew.

"I need a spell that has 'look at this!' written all over it!" Star said and whipped both hands above her head to emphasize her demand. "Do you have anything of the sort?"

"Hmm..." Glossaryck rubbed his chin while thinking. He looked up at Star with a raised eyebrow, and asked, "I do. But what's the emergency?"

"I'm helping out a friend who really needs to grab the attention of this girl he likes, and I gotta make sure she's looking at him when I need her to," Star explained.

Glossaryck nodded in understanding. He just needed to make sure Star wasn't plotting to do anything dangerous with the spell.

"Alright. I think I have what you need," he said as he snapped his fingers and the magical book's pages began flipping. The second snap of his fingers stopped the motion and Glossaryck pointed at the right page of the book. "That spell should do it."

Star leant closer to the book and read forth the title of the page.

Attraction Spell, it read.

"Attraction spell. Causes the user or the target to gain the absolute attention of one or more nearby entities of the caster's choice." Star smiled widely. "This is exactly what I needed! Thanks, Glossaryck!"

"You're welcome, princess. I hope everything goes well for you and your friend," he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some stew to make!" He snapped his fingers and disappeared back into the magical instruction book, which closed shortly after and vanished back into Star's room, saving her the trouble of having to teleport it back.

With confidence practically beaming from her, Star stood up and decided that the time was right to initiate her plan.

 _Unknown planet_

Comet sat down and let out an exasperated sigh.

"These tunnels are friggin endless!" she said, irritated. Cosmos sat down next to her and watched her as she stared at the engravings on the walls. The floating orb of light allowed them to make out each and every symbol written on those two corridor walls, although they had no clue what they were saying.

 _Shall we rest a bit?_

Comet nodded. "Yeah, but only for a minute or so. We can't lose too much time. If that guy's here, I can't allow him to get away."

 _I still sense his presence. It's stronger than before. We're getting close._

"Yeah, I sense it, too," Comet looked at the small white winged wolf and gazed into his clear eyes that practically radiated with magical energy. "Do you really think it's him?"

 _I've already told you that I don't have a definite answer._ Cosmos told her through their mental link. _All I can say is that the energy in this place is not an unfamiliar one. Whether it belongs to him, however, I cannot tell._

Comet let out a tired sigh. "Well, I guess we're about to find out soon enough."

 _What'll you do if it turns out to be him?_ Cosmos asked, sounding as curious as he was secretly worried. He knew the hatred that Comet harbored towards that man or creature, and he was afraid that she may end up doing something she'll later on regret.

The blonde princess remained silent and stood up from the ground, unwilling to answer that question, which worried Cosmos further.

"Cmon," she said briskly and continued her march through the narrow corridors of the temple.

 _Comet..._ Cosmos thought sadly as he followed her. Deep inside, he was beginning to hope that what lied at the end of the corridor was anything but what they were seeking.

 _Earth_

"One... two... three... **GO!** " Brittney shouted.

Six cheerleaders performed a short dance before throwing their pom-poms into the air and forming a single row. Megan and Andrea each ran up from the sides, did one-and-a-half somersaults and landed with their heads pointed at the ground. The two girls at the sides of the row caught them by their arms and made sure they wouldn't fall off.

"Good," exclaimed Brittney with a pleased smile on her face. So far, everything was going as intended, and all that remained was for Sabrina and Clara to balance themselves in the middle of the pyramid, then Brittney would jump up to the very top using the school's trampoline.

Star watched the events transpire with a look of awe. Maybe being a cheerleader wouldn't be so bad after all?

She banished the thought from her head. She needed to focus.

Whistling twice, she grabbed the attention of Justin and Shining, as well as the rest of the football players. She nodded briskly, and they understood the message.

Justin turned to the guys, and spoke, "Alright, dudes. Remember what we talked about. We have to make Star's bud look good in front of Brittney, so act like you're trying your hardest to stop him when he's running across the field with the ball, but make sure you don't actually stop him."

"Dude, you do realize that that happens pretty often, right? I don't see how that'll impress her..." one boy commented.

"Do you wanna have the chance to get rid of Brittney, or not?" Justin responded with an angry frown.

"Fair point..." the boy admitted.

Justin looked at Shining, and said, "Just make sure you catch the ball and then run to the end zone across the field like a starving hyena, alright?"

"Understood!" Shining exclaimed gallantly.

Justin turned to Star, who was waiting for confirmation from the players and gave her a thumbs up.

The Princess returned the gesture and watched as the boys set up formation for an attack. Shining would be acting as the quarterback, but instead of passing the ball backwards to the full-back or half-back, he would make an option run and sprint across the field while dodging and outrunning the opposing players. This was normally hard to execute and required lots of experience and the ability to not only read the defending team's formation but also make lightning-fast judgments. Fortunately for Shining, the defense would put all effort into letting him escape while only pretending that they're trying to stop him.

It was now a matter of timing. Once Brittney was atop of the girls' pyramid, Star would cast the attraction spell on her and Shining, thereby ensuring that her eyes would remain locked on him.

"-and once Brittney sees how good he is, she'll be so impressed that she'll wanna date him! Simple!" Star said to herself, finishing her thoughts. A sudden worry overcame her as she remembered the person she was supposed to be keeping an eye on. Star's worry became nought and she cued softly upon spotting Zora asleep on the stands.

"I completely forgot about her nap time," the princess said to herself, still smiling warmly. She then whipped her wand through the air and summoned a pillow underneath Zora's head.

"Better!" she said proudly and turned away from the sight before she became too intoxicated by the cute sight and wouldn't be able to take her eyes off.

While she'd been watching over Zora, Sabrina and Clara had already assumed their positions in the middle of the pyramid and were waiting for Brittney to do her part so they could catch and balance her. The said raven-haired girl looked confident as she eyed the small trampoline situated next to the girls' pyramid.

Before she took a run-up, she cried, "Alright, here I go! The two of you better catch me if you know what's good for you!" With that, she began springing towards the trampoline. She hopped onto it and was propelled into the air, where she did a front-flip before landing on her designated spot, where she was caught by her two fellow cheerleaders.

"Nice one, girls!" Brittney yelled happily.

From the other side of the field, Star heard Justin cry out to the rest of his players to begin the agreed-upon ploy.

"Alright, here we go. Prince, dude, you remember what I told you to say, right?"

Shining smiled confidently, and yelled, "686 Pump F-Stop on Two! Um, was that right...?"

"Just finish the call, dude!" Justin yelled angrily, sensing that the adrenaline was taking over.

"Right! Sorry!" Shining quickly apologised, and continued, "Purple 34, Purple 34! Hut-Hut!"

On the second 'Hut', the center snapped the ball back to Shining, who caught it and smiled. "I've got it! I've got it!" he yelled excitedly.

Justin's frustration was visible.

" _ **Then run already!**_ " He shouted. Shining was stunned for a moment before he remembered what he was supposed to do. He ran directly at two of the defense's football players, who tried 'stopping' him, only to collide with one another and let him slip right through them.

While the play was progressing, Star aimed her want at Shining, then at Brittney, then murmured into her wand, " _Who seen is not by their heart's desire, its regard they shall acquire!_ "

Star's want beamed with magical energy. As the said energy was about to be released and the spell brought to life, something went amiss. Unawares to the sleeping Zora, the red lines on her cat-mask shone with a scarlet light. Star's wand, too, was consumed by the same light, which blinded the princess. Star dropped the wand, and the magic subsided.

Before she could question what had happened, Star, out of the corner of her eye, saw that all of the cheerleaders' eyes, apart from Brittney's, had a similar scarlet glow to them. The girls all began turning their heads ominously until their gazes locked onto the target they were seeking out; Prince Shining. Less than a moment later, the girls smiled oddly and disbanded the pyramid, which resulted in a startled Brittney hitting the ground with a panicked cry.

Just as Brittney was about to yell at her squad, the girls ran onto the football field, leaving her alone and confused.

Star followed their gazes and at the end of them she spotted Prince Shining, who'd just entered the end zone and made a touchdown, then stood there proudly. Star watched with curious eyes as not only the cheerleaders but also the entire football team approached the prince, their eyes glowing red and their lips curved upward into ominous smiles.

They encircled the Shining, who stood there with a smile, not sensing the ominous atmosphere.

"Well, how'd I do? Was Brittney impressed?" he asked the whole group. He got no response as the group kept staring straight at him unblinkingly. Shining arched an eyebrow at them. "Um, is there something wrong?"

"Get him!" Chantal suddenly exclaimed with a cheerful voice and leapt at him, only to have him sidestep her sudden attack and have her fall to the ground.

"What's going on!?" Shining exclaimed, a sudden unease settling in as the group of boys and girls began tightening the circle around him.

Shining swallow audibly, then screamed in terror and broke through the enclosure before it got any tighter, and ran at full speed away from the zombified group of teenagers, who gave chase to him.

"Wait! Come back, my darling!" One of the football players yelled in an attempt to make Shining stop. The result was the exact opposite as Shining began running even faster, covering the entire length of the football field in a ridiculously short amount of time.

"Uh-oh..." Star uttered with a worried frown. She watched calmly as the group chased Shining back and forth across the football field with him screaming his lungs out. Star then picked up her wand and scratched the top of her head while eying it.

"That... wasn't supposed to happen..." she said to herself.

"What's going on...?"

Star turned to look at the source of the tiny voice and saw Zora walking toward her, hugging the pillow with one hand while rubbing her left eye with the other. Zora yawned loudly and looked up to Star for an explanation as to why Shining was being chased around by a crazed mob of cheerleaders and football players.

"I dunno," said Star, genuinely unaware of what had gone wrong while casting the spell. "I think I fumbled something up. Dunno what, though..."

Their conversation was briefly interrupted as Shining ran past them, followed by the mob of teens.

"Um, should you, like, help him?" Zora asked, completely calm.

Star raised her wand into the sky and shouted, "Nullify!"

After a bright flash of light, the incantation was seemingly broken as the eyes of everyone in the group turned back to their natural colour. They stopped in their tracks and looked about themselves, utterly lost.

"Well, that was easy," Star commented. Just then, the Prince was finishing yet another lap, so she grabbed him by the arm and threw him to the ground with a light 'thud' to prevent him from continuing his panicked display.

"Dude, chill! I stopped it!" she assured him and helped him up.

Shining let out a long sigh, and asked, "I'm guessing this wasn't how the plan was supposed to go?"

"Ya think?" Star responded coldly.

The group of boys and girls approached the trio, all looking equally perplexed.

"Dude, what was that?" Justin asked. "And why did I have the sudden urge to get down with that guy?"

Star smiled sheepishly. "Well, I-"

"I'll tell you what happened!" cut in a familiar voice before Star could even begin to explain. Everyone turned towards the source and saw Brittney walking up to them with a calm but displeased look. She pushed her way through the group until she was standing right before Star, Zora, and Shining. With an irritated glare, she spoke, "Weirdo princess over here probably tried casting some of her voodoo on me to get me to notice that dork she came here with, and it backfired horribly. Or am I wrong?"

Star and Shining, as well as the rest of the group -aside from Zora- jumped upon hearing this statement. Shining, in particular, seemed very nervous. Brittney, however, was perfectly calm.

Star pointed a finger at her. "How do you-"

"Know?" Brittney finished for her. She looked at Zora flatly. "The kid told me everything earlier. I just wanted to see how desperate the guy was."

"Zora! You did what!?" Star exclaimed in disbelief.

"I was just making things easier," Zora stated calmly, earning several arched eyebrows. Before Star could question her any further, Brittney spoke up.

"You're that wimp from the mall, right? The one I placed a restraining order against?" Brittney asked, aiming her index finger at him. Shining nodded, ashamed. Brittney continued with her interrogation. "And, from what the kid told me, you did this entire pathetic display and followed Butterscotch's stupid ideas just to impress me, in hopes that I would actually consider dating you?"

Shining sighed and steeled himself.

"Indeed. My heart has been yearning for you ever since I first met you, and I refused to give up without a last, feeble attempt," he said, his tone calm and rich. If he was going down, it may as well be with dignity. Brittney stared at him judgingly, and he took it as a sign to continue. "I am truly sorry for pestering you. But I promise that, once you say the word, I shall depart from this dimension and never disturb you again."

Star frowned upon hearing that. Shining noticed this and smiled sadly as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Star. I suppose my quest was a folly one from the very start. You tried helping me, and I shall never forget that..." Shining said, his tone genuine, then turned back to Brittney as he awaited inevitable rejection.

Brittney stared at him in silence for a long while, then shrugged. "Alright. Practice is over for today, so just wait for me to change and we can go."

"Huh?" said Star as she and Shining, along with a majority of the group, looked at Brittney wide-eyed.

"What?" she asked the whole lot of them, generally confused.

"Y-you... accept my feelings...? Even after filing that restraining order against me when I approached you at the marketplace?" Shining asked, his face betraying his disbelief.

"What, do you need me to spell it out for you or something?" Brittney said with an irritated voice as she crossed her arms. "I would have said yes earlier if you'd asked normally instead of pulling that stupid stunt."

"Hold on! Hold on!" Star cut in. "You mean to tell me that all he had to do was just walk up and ask! Meaning that my entire plan was for absolutely nothing!?" she demanded. Brittney gave her a solemn nod. Star was, to say the least, emphatic upon hearing this.

"I really don't get why older people are always so dramatic about this kind of stuff... It doesn't seem that difficult to understand..." Zora commented from the side.

"How is it that the kid is the only one among you losers with any common sense?" Brittney asked rhetorically. Zora was about to comment that she wasn't a kid, but Brittney continued, facing Shining and Star. "Like, seriously. How hard is it to just walk up to me, apologize for freaking me out at the mall, and asking me out? It's not like I'll bite your head off! What do you guys think I am? A Viper?"

"Yes-" Justin swiftly placed a hand on his fellow footballer's mouth before the word could fully come out. He was too young to die.

Brittney kept tapping her foot as she waited for a response.

"So... this whole charade was unnecessary?" Shining asked, looking for confirmation. Brittney nodded, still angry. "But-" Shining continued. "-I was told you like your suitors to be part of this circle of so-called 'jocks' and-"

"Oh, I'm not into jocks," said Brittney flatly, cutting him off. Everyone stared at her dumbfoundedly.

"What are you talking about? Of course, you are! Everyone in school knows you're into jocks!" one of the football players cried. "Why do you think we live in constant fear and despair of you potentially asking one of us out!?" he added.

"Did I ever say I liked jocks?" Brittney asked rhetorically, and nobody replied. She shook her head, and spoke, "This is why I'm the head cheerleader and in charge of the stuff around this school. Who knows what would happen if I let any of you nincompoops take the lead..." She sighed and assumed a casual pose. "Anyway, like I told Diaz awhile ago when he was too pathetic to ask his own girlfriend out, I have a soft spot for wimpy dorks." She looked at shining. "So, _are_ you a wimpy dork?"

"If by that you mean that I shall remain loyal to you and abide by your every word until the day death does us part, then I am indeed!"

"Good enough," Brittney said with a shrug and, to the surprise of everyone present, grabbed him by the hand and flashed him a smile. Shining swallowed nervously as his face burned red. "Hmm... wimpier than Diaz! I think this may actually work out!"

Shining exhaled heavily and cleared his throat. He spoke with a smile. "I truly am a lucky prince! Rest assured, you shall not regret this decision! And in 10-years time, you shall become my bride!"

"Wait-what?" Star asked from the side. She pointed her wand at him. "I thought you said that the wedding was tomorrow?

"What? Oh! Heavens, no! Ha-ha-ha!" Shining laughed, confusing Star. He wiped a tear from his cheek, smiled, and said cheerfully, "We have different terms for the passing of time in Alwaysland. You see, 'Tomorrow' would be the equivalent of '10-years from now' on Earth and Mewni."

" **What!?** " Star shrieked.

"I'm sorry for not explaining it, but I thought you knew! You have to admit that it does sound rather silly. What manner of fool would give their crown prince so little time to find a bride, right?" He finished with a chuckle. There was an awkward silence from Star's side as the princess stared at Shining irritably.

"Oh... right..." he said, remembering the events from not long ago and flashing her a sheepish grin. He then turned to Brittney and asked, "Shall we go then, my beloved?"

With that, the two departed from the rest of the group, hand in hand.

A brief silence followed until it was broken by one of the cheerleaders.

"OK!? What... the... ***beep*** just happened!?" she cried out, waving her arms through the air in an angry manner.

"Dude!" Justin exclaimed and pointed at her. "How did you just do that?"

"Do what?" she asked, confused.

"You know, that ***beep*** noise?"

"Hey! You did it, too!" Zoey exclaimed, pointing a finger at Justin.

Justin scratched his forehead in confusion, and said, "All I said was ***beep*** "

"Could you guys stop it with the ***beep*** already!? It's ***beep*** annoying!"

"OK! Everyone just stop!" Zoey exclaimed. "What _is_ even going on right now?"

"Either we're crazy, or whoever is in charge of this has stopped caring about the quality of the story..." Star murmured. Everyone looked at her with baffled expressions. Star's eyes widened in realisation, and she spoke, "Oh, right. You guys don't know about the thing..."

"What thing?" Zoey asked, perplexed

"Good. Let's keep it that way."

 _FIN_

* * *

 **Chapter End notes: I'm terribly sorry, but I just couldn't resist ending it like this xD. Well, maybe this wasn't 'extra long' but I did cut some stuff out to make sure it wouldn't turn out too messy (A courtesy of some advice given to me by my beta reader)**

 **And I also apologise to any American readers for my atrocious portrayal of one of your most iconic and beloved sports. I literally just took whatever was written on Wikipedia and implemented it into my fanfic...**

 **Anyway, feel free to leave a review and follow/favourite the story if you've enjoyed, and I hope to see you all again in 2 weeks!**

 **Expected Update: In 2 weeks**


	32. Chapter 7 1B

**A/N: I'm back from my vacation and bring to you the latest chapter! Enjoy! (I also thought today was Monday xD, my bad...)**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Sugar: Thanks! I hope you'll enjoy the rest of it :)!**

 **RobLebron: Yeah, Brittney deserves more character development, so I'm giving her some! Trust me, Zora's much smarter than Marco, but she's also a child. Hehe, Marco will be positively surprised, that's for sure ;)**

 **RedHood001: It's the assassin from Chapter 2. And yeah, Brittney could have been so much more, but they abandoned her :/...**

 **Rock Raider: To be honest, we don't even** ** _know_ what the case is since Brittney's character development is about as deep as the shallow end of the pool. And no, time does not pass differently, read closely, they only use different terms for time. Honestly, this is the part I kept staring at for an hour and shifting between those two exact variations, but decided to keep the former one for whatever reason. You can give me suggestions, either through a PM or a review; I always love getting new ideas to implement!**

 **Starshine89: Thanks, and no thanks xD. I ain't touching a language that has no gender determiner xDD**

 **Bedrock Armor: Well, that wasn't helpful, at all xD**

 **hunterdavid371: I didn't mean that in a racist way, if that's how it turned out; I just saw a few authors use it, so I also implemented it. Anyway, if you're looking for a good fic, 'Nothing Comes Easy' by Axis26 is the one that got me into this fandom, but I'm very honored that you praised my story to such an extent!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 1 (B)**

 _Six... friggin... hours..._ Marco mulled those three words over and over in his head, feeling like he'd snap if this part of his trial lasted much longer. River and Moon were testing both his patience and perseverance by making him sit completely still on River's throne. A good ruler must have a honed sense of patience, apparently, even if it killed and stiffened his back.

Marco sighed wearily.

This sucked.

This legitimately sucked.

He kept staring at the door across the throne room, praying that it would open and someone would bring salvation to his aching back, otherwise he would have to go seek treatment from a chiropractor as if he were some hunched over 90-year-old grandpa!

His patience was dwindling, he could feel himself slightly losing his calm with each passing second. The only thing keeping him from jumping out of that damned chair and crying that he'd had enough of this rubbish was the thought of potentially being forced to forever part ways with Star. Unofficial marriage or not, the people of Mewni had the power to force River and Moon to call off the whole deal. Without the people's support, the ruling dynasty of a kingdom was doomed, thence Marco's assurance that failure would result in nothing but bad outcomes.

There were 2 probable outcomes, should he fail or refuse to accept the trial; Either Moon and River would bend before their people and denounce him from his title as the future crown prince of Mewni, or they would refuse to do so, which would undoubtedly spark a flame of outrage and perhaps a wave of rebellion against them.

So, in short, he really shouldn't budge from this blasted chair.

Marco sighed, sick and tired of this ordeal, and murmured to himself, "They could have at least left me with someone to talk to..."

"Rude..."

Marco had no idea how he'd ended up on the floor. Did he jump reactively? Yeah, that was probably it, he thought. Either way, it didn't really matter. What _did_ matter, or rather _who,_ was the owner of the girlish voice, sitting in Moon's throne, snickering at him while supporting her head with her right hand, the elbow of which was situated on the throne's right arm.

" ** _Janna!?_** "

"Hi," replied the girl cooly and smirked at him. She mulled something over, looking at the chair oddly, and said, "Wow. This thing is the opposite of comfy. You must be pretty persistent to have sat here for almost 6 hours."

Wordlessly, Marco stood up from the ground and stomped over to her, glaring daggers.

"Janna!?" he hissed, his words hushed, unable to reach the ears of the guardsmen posted outside of the throne room.

"That is indeed my name, last I checked," she said, smirking teasingly at him.

Marco grabbed her by the shoulders, startling her, and forced her upright.

"Janna, what the heck are you doing here!?" Marco whispered angrily at her.

"You asked for someone to talk to, didn't you?" she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Arms crossed, she added, "You seriously suck at being thankful, dude..."

Marco turned his head from left to right rapidly, surveying the room. Nobody was around to hear their conversation, but they had to keep their voices low to prevent the guards posted outside to catch wind of anything. Who knows what trouble they'd both get in if someone burst through the door at this very moment and found him standing upright and talking to what was essentially an intruder.

"How did you even get here?" Marco asked, angry, but curious.

"Here as in the throne room, or here as in Mewni?"

"Both!"

"I was over at your house when River came to pick you up, so I snuck through the portal before it fully closed, then I bribed one of the guards with a strip of bubble gum to let me in and keep quiet about it," Janna explained proudly and stood up from the uncomfortable chair.

"Bubble gum!?" Marco cried silently with wide eyes. Janna nodded proudly as she rubbed her stiff back with one hand.

"Yeah. I'll tell ya, these guys are easier to bribe than government officials..."

"Can we stop with the political jokes already?" urged Marco, and added, "Anyway, Janna, you're not supposed to be here! Go back to Earth before someone finds you!"

Janna looked at Marco dully and blinked twice.

"Ok," she said. "Let me just grab my pair of dimensional scissors and - Oh, wait, I don't have any!"

Marco groaned angrily. While she did have a point, she didn't have to be a hussy over it. Marco beckoned her to step aside and returned to his position in the throne. Looking at her with displeased eyes, he said, "Why did you follow me here? Star's relying on me to do good and your presence could screw everything up!"

"Relax, dude," said Janna with a cool smile as she leant with her back against the side of the huge throne. "I'm not here to mess anything up. I'm here to help you!"

"Help me?"

"Yes, help you," Janna assured him. "I know how important this whole thing is and that failure is not an option, so I'm gonna give you and hand and help you pass whatever tests they got in store for you."

"You want to help me _cheat_ my way through the trial!?"

Marco stared at the mischief-maker with wide eyes. He didn't like the sound of that, not one bit. It was Janna's essentiality to take shortcuts wherever she could, or make her own if none were available, but he wasn't going to risk getting caught doing such a fraudulent act; He'd probably be evicted from Mewni, for good!

"Cheating is such a heavy word. I prefer to use the term 'take the easier route'," Janna said, and walked over to him, stopping just a foot before the throne. "So, are you in, or are you in?"

"I am definitely **not** in!" Marco proclaimed with his arms crossed defiantly and his expression exhibiting his displeasure with Janna's scheme. "Star and her parents are counting on me to take this seriously and prove myself worthy through _fair_ means. I don't plan on letting them down, especially Star."

Janna rolled her eyes at him.

"Alright, lover boy, have it your way." Marco frowned and strained to remain sitting in his chair. At that moment, the door on the other end of the hall opened and Marco shot a frantic glance at Janna, but the girl had already disappeared from sight.

"Marco Diaz," a voice called from the other end of the open door. It was a man, probably one of the Buttrefly's servants. "The King and Queen request your presence outside. Don't dally."

"Uh, coming!" Marco cried loudly and stood up from his seat, then began making his way towards the massive open door.

 _Where's Janna?_ he wondered. She was nowhere to be seen, like she'd disappeared into thin air. He knew she was good at hiding and avoiding people, given that she did it on a regular basis to skip classes, but to lose track of her so easily and at a moment's notice was absurd.

Still, Marco had no time to worry about it. He had somewhere to be, and Janna would find her way around the castle, so her location was the least of his concerns.

... provided she wouldn't cause any trouble of mischief. Marco narrowed his eyes in suspicion; She'd given up on persuading him surprisingly fast. Almost too fast.

She was up to something...

* * *

"Hello, Marco!" River cheerfully exclaimed as he spotted the boy walking towards him. Both he and Moon were standing next to the same carriage that had taken him to Mewni earlier that day. He, therefore, suspected that the location of his trial would be held elsewhere, maybe at several locations, even. The nobles and commoners that had greeted him upon his arrival were nowhere to be seen. They were likely already awaiting him at the point of his destination.

Marco bowed his head before the two, and Moon motioned with her hand towards the carriage, which the three promptly boarded.

After a few hundred manslengths spend driving in silence, Marco spoke up.

"So, did I pass the first test?" he asked.

Moon and River exchanged perplexed looks.

"First test?" Riven questioned, peering curiously at Marco.

"Yeah. You know, the test of patience that involved me sitting on your throne for 6 hours straight?"

"Oh, ha-ha!" River laughed cheerfully, then smiled at Marco and patted him on the shoulder. "That wasn't a test! I just needed someone to keep my throne warm. Can't have my buttocks freeze once I sit down, now, can I?"

Marco's mouth was agape.

"But you told me not to move!" he exclaimed as he glared at the small King.

"Yes, we did." River nodded, then continued, "But we weren't forbidding you from moving because we were testing you."

"Then why!?" Marco yelled and waved his arms through the air, demanding an answer.

"Becuase," River replied, "Moments before your arrival, a few of our guards claimed to have spotted some figure lurking around the halls. They didn't get a closer look at it, but one of the guards claims she was wearing some strange olive-colored hat. Most troublesome..." River finished with a slow shake of his head.

Marco looked through the glass window of the carriage and saw one of the accompanying guardsmen blow a pink bubble with his mouth and pop it before anyone could notice. Bubble gum, no doubt.

 _Note to self: Fire that guy once I have the jurisdiction to._

Marco showed the thought into the back of his mind and looked up at Queen Moon.

"Then why did you specifically order me to sit down for a good 2-3 hours -which ended up being 6 hours- and told me how to sit properly?"

"Hmm? Oh, goodness, no!" Moon laughed and waved the accusation off. "I wasn't commanding you! I was merely giving you some general advice on how a King should sit, and informing you that the preparations may take awhile." Moon rubbed her chin awkwardly, "Perhaps my phrasing was a bit off..."

"You think?" Marco asked with a mixture of sarcasm and dullness, then sighed and put on a tiny, but awkward smile. "Anyway, is everything finally ready? I don't feel like torturing my back for another 6 hours..."

Moon laughed at the statement as Marco rubbed his back. She bowed her head gracefully.

"Yes. As far as we're concerned, everything is set up. There will be 3 tasks, and we'll provide you with instructions for each one shortly before they begin. We've also adapted the challenges accordingly to your physique since the bodies of humans are more prone to injury than ours, not to mention that they take much longer to heal up."

"Sounds good. I'm ready!" said Marco, his voice and body beaming with confidence.

"Splendid!" exclaimed River and whipped his hand through the air in a jolly fashion, then wrapped it around Marco's shoulder and pulled him closer to himself, startling him while doing so. "Don't worry, Marco! I'm confident that you'll best every trial we'll throw at you! After all..." River gazed at Moon and raised his eyes suggestively, and added, "The women of the Butterfly lineage are known for choosing only the finest husbands for themselves!"

The Queen did a playful roll with her eyes at her husband's comment, then put on her serious face as she looked toward Marco.

"Now, Marco," she spoke. "Before we delve further into the matter at hand, I would like to tell you precisely _why_ it is necessary for you to-"

"I know already," Marco casually interrupted the Queen, much to her displeasure. "The people of Mewni don't want anyone other than a Mewman to be their next King because I'm neither royal nor strong or capable enough and blah-blah-blah. Right?"

"No," replied Moon, earning an arched eyebrow from Marco. "You being human is not the issue. Were you, for example, a demon or a merman, the people would accept you without hesitation. Do you know why, Marco?"

"Uh, no..."

"Then I shall explain," said Moon. "You see, Marco, the main reason for this trial isn't that anyone doubts in your capabilities. You've proven your worth numerous times and are clearly capable of protecting my daughter."

"What is the main reason, then?" He asked. If his capabilities weren't under question, why had the people of Mewni been so persistent with their demand to have him tested?

He soon received his answer, although it wasn't quite what he'd expected.

"The issue is that, um, what's the best way to word it..." Moon pondered while rubbing her chin before looking at Marco. "Your and my daughter's 'compatibility'."

"Compatibility?" Marco repeated the word, not the slightest idea what she was talking about. "But Star and I are getting along great! Not to mention that we're a butt-kicking duo like no-"

"That's... not exactly what I meant..." Moon said, awkwardly, confusing Marco further. She leant in closer and gestured Marco to mimic her movement. Once her mouth was right next to his ear, she whispered something into it. The reaction she got was instant as Marco's red face could no longer be distinguished from his hoodie. She pulled away, as did he, and all three sat in silence.

"...Oh..." was all Marco managed to muster up, having no other response to her explanation.

"You understand now, don't you?" Moon more stated than asked. "While your biological incompatibility won't hinder any of the 'activities' that you two may want to engage in once you're older, it will be an insurmountable obstacle when offsprings come into question. We've done the research, and there's a 99.999999% chance that we're right about it, so we may as well round it up to 100%!"

"In short, you can't have kids of your own," added River, being more short spoken than his wife.

"I... uh... see..." Marco forced out in response, wishing he could turn invisible to dodge the set of stares directed at him by the elderly couple.

Moon sighed deeply and spoke with a firm but tender voice, "Marco, we're not going to sugarcoat it; We were, and still are, very upset about this, as are our people. You understand that, don't you?"

"Yeah..."

"You've already broken many of our sacred traditions when you took Star's hand," River continued. "And you'll be breaking another by being unable to provide royal-blooded offsprings for my daughter and our lineage. But-" River smiled and raised one finger into the air. "That doesn't mean that Moon and I think anything less of you. As far as we're concerned, you're already our son."

"The people, however, are of a different mindset," said Moon. "Unless you capture their hearts and prove your worth, you'll not be permitted to officially become the crown Prince of Mewni. It took a good deal of arguing from our side to convince them to even put you on this trial instead of denying you the title straight off."

Marco nodded, slowly and shamefully, frowning all the while. He couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for putting the King and Queen in such a position where they had to act against the wishes of their own people. And the fact that he and Star could never conceive a child... He may be a teenager, but it stung.

He felt a comforting hand on his shoulder and looked up to see both Moon and River smiling at him softly, letting him know that they weren't angry with him, even if the had the right to be. It was strange.

"Why are you two so cool about this? Isn't this a serious and unavoidable problem that should have the two of you firing me out of a cannon?"

"Normally, yes," River said, casually. "Fortunately for you, Marco, one of our traditions works strongly in your favor!" Marco arched an eyebrow at the King, who cleared his throat and continued in a matter-of-fact fashion, "In the event that the princess of Mewni chooses her prince to be of non-mewman descent, the customs and traditions of his culture are to be respected within our Kingdom, so long as the King, Queen, and high council approve of them."

"After looking into your culture," continued Moon, "We discovered a fascinating custom. If I'm not mistaken, you are allowed to take a child, which has been left without its parents, under your care and call them your own. What was it called again? Ah, yes! Adoption!"

"So you're saying that Star and I will have to adopt a hair to the throne?" Marco asked, looking for confirmation.

"Correct," said River. "We've decided that the two of you are to do so on the day of your coronation, which will happen once Moon and I step down or are unable to fulfill our duties and King and Queen. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds reasonable."

"Splendid! It's settled, then!" proclaimed River.

"Alright, enough of this discussion," said Moon, and looked at Marco. "Firstly, let's make sure you gain the right to become the prince, an then we'll discuss this further, alright?"

Marco nodded, and the carriage fell into silence once more.

 _To be continued..._

 _ **Sneak preview of what's to come:**_

"You guys have a mailbox?" asked Marco as he eyed the letter on Moon's hand.

"Doesn't every royal family have one?" River asked.

"That's not important. Just read the letter and assess what would be the best action to take," said Moon and handed Marco a white envelope.

Marco nodded and opened the envelope. Paper in hand, he cleared his throat, and read:

 _My liege!_

 _I write to you with shocking news!_

 _Sir Wiltshire, your royal spy, tried to have me assassinated to make sure I wouldn't discover his plot to kill Sir Wiltshire!_

 _Signed,_

 _Your Humble Spymaster,_ _Sir Wiltshire._

"Uhhhhh..." Marco looked up at the King and Queen. Both of them stared at him with deadpan looks, unsure how to ever react to... that...

Marco, however, thought they were waiting for his assession. He said, finding it to be the most logical thing to do, "Um, we fire your Spymaster...?"

"That... is actually a wise suggestion..." Moon admitted in a slow and deadpan voice. This was the last time she'd let River assign positions of high importance to her their servants without her supervision. Honestly, the man would probably marry an Eagle if the opportunity presented itself...

Moon snatched the letter from Marco's hands and stuffed it carelessly into one of her husband's pockets. She would have a talk with him about this later, for now, she had other obligations to fulfill.

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:** **Well, that's it,** **folks! See ya soon!**


	33. This is a title

**I just wanted to inform you guys that this Sunday's update will be pushed back to Tuesday/Wednesday.**

 **Long story short, a storm hit a part of our region (not my part) around 2 weeks ago and caused a decent amount of damage. I'm not gonna go into any details, but one of my family's closest friends had his workshop torn down by it; The whole thing was _gone_ and for some god-forsaken reason the cement-flooring was cracked. Anyway, thanks to insurance companies being run by degenerate bimbos, they only covered, like, half of the damage and told him he'd have to pay the workers, not them. To say the least, he was pissed (I'd never heard so many swear-words used in a single sentence before xDD) and asked us if we were willing to help him out a bit, so I ended up spending most of this week's time shovelling gravel into a mixer and driving cement around, plus hammering planks together and carrying them to the designated spots, then proceeded to get yelled at because I hammered the nails in like a girl. The good news is that I didn't kill myself or anyone in my vicinity, or sustain any severe injuries apart from hitting myself on the head like a dozen times. The bad news is that I got practically 0 writing done because I was just too tired in the evenings.**

 **In short; I'm behind schedule and have to catch up on both my writing and reading (promised _robertkellett_ I'd give him some feedback for his story 'Connecting Troubled Souls; Btw, you guys should check out his works) so it'll take awhile, since I've got other crap to do, with, my semester starting in one week. As mentioned above, I'll try to update it in 2-3 days.**

 **I apologise for the inconvenience and hope for your understanding.**

 **-jolleIQ**


	34. Chapter 7 2B

**A/N: Woah! Dudes! You're taking things out of proportion xD! Trust me, it's not as bad as it sounds; He's already retired but does woodwork as a hobby, so it's not like he's lost his financial security, he was just boiling mad at the insurance guy and asked us to help him rebuild xD! And it's not like I suffered or anything; I was just too tired to write, and I'm mad because I fell behind schedule! I kinda enjoyed doing some manual labour, if I'm honest. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, after all.**

 **On a side note, I've started with the new semester of my new College (English, English Literature, and Sociology) so I hope that you'll see some improvements to my grammar and coherence in the coming months/years (If I'll still be on fanfiction)**

 **Replies to the latest (story/chapter) reviews:**

 **Starshine89: Hell the fuck no we're not xD. Well, Janna is Janna, and she's always good for writing humour.**

 **robertkellet: Well, they're not really keeping this a secret. Marco just happened to be in earshot. Well, he did kinda marry their princess without informing them xD. Hehe, I was hoping that it would turn out funny :). Also, I've finally gotten my life back under control, so I'll (100%) give you feedback by the end of the week!**

 **Rock Raider: Again, feel free to express your thoughts and guesses, I may adapt my writing if you want to see something specific. Anyway, I'm not gonna spoil much, but let's just say that this fanfic will NOT be the typical 'and everything turned out 100% ok and they lived happily ever after'. I've mentioned before that this part of the story will have 12 chapters (maybe 13), and then a final fanfic to serve as the conclusion. And yes, I do have the ending, but I'm not sure how many people will like it ;).**

 **RedHood001: We'll see how the whole 'can't have kids' thing will turn out.**

 **Sugar: Hmm, idk, maybe ;)?**

 **Bedrock Armor: So is every politician, ever.**

 **Scarve: I love creating my own universes and sharing them with you guys, so thx!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 2 (B)**

The royal carriage came to a stop and the three passengers heard the carriage driver say, "We've arrived at our destination. I shall hold open the door for you in but a moment."

"Can't we just open the door ourselves?" Marco asked the two nobles, Moon and River, both of whom shook their heads, Moon adding a 'tsk-tsk' to her gesture. They offered no further explanation, but Marco didn't protest. Rules were rules, after all, and he'd get used to them in time.

The door of the carriage opened shortly and the carriage driver gestured the three to exit the vehicle and stepped aside respectfully to give them more room.

"After you, Marco," River said, gesturing him to exit the carriage first.

Marco obeyed the King's order and climbed down the single step of the carriage and set foot on solid ground. He instinctively whipped his head from left to right and took in his surroundings. The carriage had stopped in the middle of a flat, grass-covered field with not much else to be seen, apart from a row of seats to the far left, all occupied by the same people he'd met upon his arrival, who were likely to be the judges.

Scanning the area further, Marco saw a huge, black crock-pot placed atop of a raging firepit. Two mewmans were manning it; Oconstantlyntantly adding fresh wood to the pile of burning timber underneath the crock pot, and the other was standing on top of a portable wooden ladder and brewing the contents of the huge pot with a large wooden spoon.

 _Lunch, probably_.

Looking away from the firepit, Marco saw a small oakwood table with a single oakwood chair placed behind it. There was nothing else around the table, so he had not a clue what purpose it could possibly serve. The bizarre thing was that there was absolutely nothing else in the nearby vicinity, and, unless he was mistaken, this desolate place was the location of his first trial.

Marco felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, then gazed upward at the muscular, towering figure. The figure's large arms soon enveloped around Marco and closed in on him, forcing him into the figure's grasp.

"Marco! Is good to see you!" Buff Frog exclaimed as he kept crushing Marco in his tight man-hug. Said boy was gasping for air and he was pretty sure his spine would break at any moment. Before his prediction became a reality, Yvgeny released him and set him on the ground, allowing Marco to gasp for some oxygen. Marco soon recovered from the surprise attack and looked up and noticed that Buff Frog was no longer wearing his old rags. In their place was a blue buttoned shirt of a similar design, blue of colour, royal Mewman blue, with a small badge on the side where the Frog Man's heart was located.

Ivgeny had a beaming smile on his face. He was obviously happy to see Marco, whom he considered as a friend, no doubt.

Marco smiled back, and said, "Hey, Buff Frog. How's Mewni been treating ya and your kids?"

"Is good," Yvgeny said with a nod of satisfaction. "Plenty of food and peace. Mewman's not too thrilled seeing me, but have made many friends."

"That's awesome!"

"Mm-hm, yes."

"Yvgeny Bulgolbov has integrated himself into our court quite nicely," said Moon as she got off the carriage and took her place next to her diminutive husband. "I made the case that his service towards my daughter in a time of need was more than enough to offer him a position as a palace guard. We've also assigned caretakers to look after his children during his shift, and we're planning to dedicate the West wing of the castle to his Children, to offer them more space to hop around and grow without feeling constricted. So rest assured, Marco, he is being treated well."

Marco nodded in understanding and smiled at the tall Queen. He was glad that despite the intolerance towards monsters, which was the result of years of hatred from the side of the people of Mewni, his friend was able to live in peace, for the time being.

"Anyway," Marco began, careful not to let his thoughts wander off. "What's Buff Frog doing here?"

"Upon hearing that your trial shall be held today, he volunteered to be your personal guard, should there be another attack," explained River.

Marco arched an eyebrow. His safe-kid instincts kicked in and noticed the crucial word in River's sentence.

"Attack?" he asked the King.

"Trouble with monsters," Ivgeny began, not sounding very thrilled.

 _Trouble? Oh, right._

Marco recalled the destruction he'd seen on the day he and Star had found Zora, which had been the result of an attack by a horde of monsters.

"Their movements seemed to have progressed into Mewman territory," said Moon. "One of our villages, Kelmsnir, was attacked yesterday and burned to the ground. There were no survivors."

"Just like Zora's village..." Marco murmured angrily.

Moon sighed, suddenly looking weary.

"The date for your trial had been set long before the attack, so postponing it was not an option. However, I'm not going to lie to you, Marco, the chances of another attack are very real. After all, Kelmsnir was situated deep within our territory, and we're still trying to figure out how a horse of monsters managed to sneak their way past our line of watchtowers and disappear without a trace."

"We have guards posted all about the place," River added. "But your friend here wanted to be as close to you as possible so that he could be at your side in quicker than you can say corncob."

"Huh. That's awfully nice of you, Buff Frog," Marco said tot he giant frogman, appreciative of his willingness to take up such a dangerous job. He also had an easier time trusting Yvgeny than some random guard that Moon and River would have assigned to the task.

"Is no problem," Yvgeny humbly replied. "Some monsters dangerous. Bring shame to monster kind. They hurt you," Buff Frog picked up a stone from the ground and crushed it with his bare palms, then dusted off his hands, "I crush _them!_ "

"That's nice and all, but what are the odds of an attack happening at this location at the exact time that I'm busy doing this test, right?" Marco joked and added an awkward chuckle, feebly trying to make himself seem calm at the imposing danger.

"I still kill them..." murmured Yvgeny drily.

"Are you done?" A female voice asked. Marco looked towards the direction and saw an elderly woman with chestnut hair that was held in a heart-shaped updo, like Moon's hair. A rigid frown was sprawled across her aged face, her scorn no doubt aimed at both of the outsiders who were standing side by side; Marco and Buff Frog. He'd already known what to expect before coming to Mewni, so the woman's scornful look did not phase him in the slightest.

Her clothing was similar to that of Queen Moon; A blue gown with a heart-shaped skirt. Mewman nobles weren't very diverse with their clothing, apparently.

The woman looked much older than Moon, and was, by Marco's judgement, slightly on the obese side.

"Marco, meet Lady Maizewall. She will serve as head of the commission for your trial," Moon's introduction of the elderly woman was met with a 'hmph' as she examined Marco from head to toe, making him feel uneasy. He didn't like being judged by someone he didn't know.

"So," Lady Maizewall spoke to Moon and River, ignoring Marco's presence, " _This_ fragile and scrawny human is the one who's married our princess? Are you joking?"

Marco didn't appreciate her comment and responded to it with a glare.

"Hey!" he said, grabbing her attention. "I'll have you know that I've kicked the butt of Ludo's former henchmen several times, and I'm proficient in karate," Marco folded his arms before his chest. "And I'm not scrawny!" he added.

Lady Maizewall merely laughed at him. She spoke with a sleazy grin, confident in her words, "You will fail today's tests, human. All three of them." She hunched over slightly so that she was now on eye-level with Marco, the latter being just an inch or two shy of the woman.

"As chance would have it, we're so certain of your inevitable failure in completing all three challenges that we'll acknowledge your right to the princess' hand if you so much as complete 2 of the 3 challenges successfully. Not that you'll pass a single one..."

Marco's response was instant.

"Well then, prepare to eat your own words, because Marco Diaz is not a loser!" he said, pointing his thumb at his own chest. "I'll take on whatever you throw at me, and then some!"

"A cocky one, are we?" Lady Maizewall laughed mockingly. "Very well. I look forward to watching you stumble and fall, _Marco_."

She turned her back towards him and walked over to the rest of the gathered mewmans. However, her words had left Marco with a bitter taste in his mouth and even sourer words that were threatening to escape the confinement of his mouth.

"I apologise for that, Marco," said River from the side. "She's a member of Mewni's eldest and richest houses, the Meizewall family, who think every blasted corn cob in the entire kingdom belongs to them!"

"They're indeed very arrogant, but they are also one of the leading backers of our kingdom's army," said Moon. "Without them, our troops would lose every forth head, and that's not even counting the number of troops who would lack proper equipment. So, Marco, I ask of you, as a personal favour, to try and act respectfully towards her. Believe me, I know it's not an easy task, but-"

"I get it. I'll try to digest whatever she throws at me," Marco cut in. He didn't even bother to hide his dislike of Moon's request, but he understood that his cooperation would spare both her and the Kingdom a lot of trouble.

Moon inclined her head respectfully.

"Thank you, Marco. That means a lot to me. River and I shall go take our place amongst the rest of the spectators, you wait here and do some catching up with your old friend. Lady Meizewall will call for you when you are to begin the first trial, understood?"

Marco gave the Queen a thumbs up. "Got it."

Moon and River walked off, leaving him alone with Buff Frog. Looking at the frogman, Marco noticed that, replacing the usually cheerful smile, there was a resigned frown present on his face as Yvgeny seemed to be mulling something over in his head.

"Is everything ok?" Buff Frog looked down at the boy in the red hoodie, his eyes suddenly looking worn out, stirring up worry in Marco. Yvgeny sighed, and said with resentment in his voice, his tone blot.

"I very ashamed of monsters who destroy village, you know," he murmured, lowly, a touch of malice present in his rumbly voice. "I trying best to show good side on monsters, and when I finally making progress-"

"The attack happens," Marco finished for him, knowing where Buff Frog was going with his speech. Ivgeny nodded, affirming Marco's assumption.

He couldn't blame him for having a bitter frown and a sour attitude. The topic that had been talked about mere minutes ago and was spoken of anew wasn't a pleasant one if you were on the receiving end of it, like Buff Frog was.

Marco had a feeling that the mewmans' disproval for his position at the Castle had only increased after the attack. Some had, perhaps, even tried to push the blame on him, but Marco wasn't foolish enough to ask. He knew that, if he were in Yvgeny's position, he would prefer to dodge the topic and discuss something, anything else.

Yvgeny's struggles were nothing unfamiliar to Marco. Humans were the same, after all.

Humans were the same, after all.

While he'd never been the target of harassment, fortunately enough, others in school and around the world were. The worst part was that it wasn't their fault. A peer or member of their so-called 'culture' did something wrong and **boom!** You were suddenly put in the same pot as that person, or persons, despite being different. Buff Frog was now in such a situation; He left Ludo and was now dedicating himself to serving the Butterfly family, and consequently the kingdom of Mewni, but was still mistrusted by many and blamed for the actions of others of his kind.

Yet, here he was, standing strong and resenting the members of his kin for shaming their own kind.

Although, the mewmans weren't all that innocent either...

Marco playfully punched Buff Frog's shoulder and flashed him a small grin.

"Hey, you're different," he said, completely honest. "Star and I know you are, her parents know you are, and soon everyone will. Just... give them some time. Change doesn't happen overnight."

"I know." Yvgeny nodded and smiled back at Marco. "How you say again... um... _Groceries,_ Marco!"

"It's _Gracias_! It means _thanks_ in Spanish" Marco laughed, and Buff Frog joined him.

"So, how Star doing?"

"Oh, she's doing fine," Marco waved his hand dismissively while smiling. "Her grades could be better, but considering that she neither does any homework or studying, it's a wonder that she even has passing grades. Other than that, she's really happy about Zora living in our house."

"Sora?" Buff Frog scratched the top of his confused head.

"No, Zora," Marco corrected. "We found her and now she's living with us, and her and Star have gotten really close," he explained but avoided mentioning the destroyed village, seeking to retain the light mood of their conversation.

"I see," Buff Frog replied. "And what is hat girl doing here?" he added, earning an arched eyebrow from Marco.

"Hat girl?" he repeated, unsure who Buff Frog was referring to. Ivgeny pointed towards the giant cooking pot, its contents still being stirred by one of the two chefs. Panic overcame Marco upon spotting Janna crouching underneath the portable ladder that the man was standing atop of, somehow going undetected by anyone else. She had a devious smirk on her face as she took something out of her pocket and threw it into the firepit underneath the crock pot, then smiled pridefully and ran off without drawing any attention. She slipped into the unmanned carriage where nobody would spot her.

Marco swallowed. His stomach churned.

 _What did she do?_

 **End of Part 2B!**

* * *

 **A/N: So I brought up this heavy topic because I think it's stupid that people hate others just because of their religion or ethnicity. Like, why would you hate someone you've never met or talked to before? I hope none of you are like that. I'm not saying you have to like everyone, but if you are the kind of person to stereotype people and hate them before you've even got to know them, then all I'm asking is that you learn to be more tolerant.**

 **Next chapter will be longer, I promise! (1-2 weeks, as usual)**

 **Till then, bye!**


	35. Side Chapter: The Bloodmoon Mystery

**A/N: Here's a little side chapter. We'll continue with Marco's trial in the next chapter.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Side Chapter**

 **The Bloodmoon Mystery**

The Underworld was famous for two things.

The first was the red hellrock that accounted for 90% of the terrain. It was ever-burning; Once you lit a fire, there was no putting it out. Fortunately for the dwellers of the Underworld, the fires remained where they were and didn't spread, allowing them to live in somewhat habitable conditions.

The second was having human cable and satellite television. How and why, nobody knew or cared, and the cable companies weren't bothered by it, either. The only drawback was that the only channels available were a cooking channel and, to Tom's utmost delight, a dedicated Love Sentence TV channel, the same one that the horned demon was watching whilst singing along to the tunes.

"Master Tom," a shy voice suddenly called, putting a stop to his singalong. Said demon shifted in his seat and turned his head round so that it was facing the door of his room. Upon noticing a familiar feathered figure standing in between the doorframe, twisting her thumbs nervously, fearfully awaiting his reaction, Tom lazily reached for the remote on the table before him and turned the volume all the way down before again facing Trisha, the shy Harpy librarian. In her hands, she was tightly holding four books.

"M-may I come in, master Tom?" she stuttered nervously. Tom smiled casually and chuckled at her nervous behaviour, which he found to be both amusing and cute. Also a bit annoying at times, but fortunately the former two outweigh the latter. He motioned her to step in and for a moment she seemingly disappeared as her red feathers matched perfectly with the colours of his room, mostly red.

"I'm here to report to you my findings," she said, sitting down next to him, and placed the four books she was holding onto the couch.

Tom nodded.

A few weeks ago, he and Trisha had done some research into the Bloodmoon and discovered that it bore a dreadful curse; The two souls bound under its light would, for some inexplicable reason, be forced into circumstances that would lead to one of the eternal lovers putting an end to the other. Normally, he wouldn't bat an eye and let things run their course, however, this time the said souls were his friends, Marco and Star, the former of which he was heavily indebted to, thanks to his involvement in a vile scheme that had, ironically, resulted in the bond between the two besties to grow even stronger.

But that still didn't make up for the fact that he had worked with a group of people whose motives were all but pure. Tom now regretted that he didn't tell Marco the identity of the villains when the opportunity had presented itself; He no longer remembered who they were! A week or so after his confession to Marco, his memories of those people began to blur until he could no longer recognise or remember any of them. The only things he could recall was the shadowy silhouette of a teenage girl and a woman. He couldn't even recall where their meetings had taken place!

The worst part was that, no matter how many of the Underworld mages and demon wizards he'd asked, none of could find any traces of a spell or anything similar on him, meaning that the loss of memory was caused by something else entirely.

It was frustrating, knowing how badly he'd screwed up and all he could do was try and mend it.

To his credit, however, he was trying. Immediately after breaking the shocking news to Marco, Tom ordered Trisha to look up every book, scroll, script, and even parchment that had anything about the Bloodmoon and the Bloodmoon Ball written on it. Trisha then locked herself into the library and spent sleepless nights reading through the encyclopedia of knowledge in an attempt to fulfil her employer's expectations.

Seeing her in his private room could only mean two things; She'd either found nothing, or she'd found something. Taking into account the books she'd placed onto the couch, Tom was betting on the latter.

"You've found something?"

Trisha nodded and placed the four books next to one another. Tom took the opportunity to read their respectful titles.

 _Of Gods and Celestial Bodies, Volume III_

 _Mask of Tarlala, The Faceless One_

 _The Offspring of None_

 _The Fate of Lovers_

Trisha picked up the first book and opened it on a page she'd marked, then placed it back down onto the couch. She repeated this process with the remaining 3 books.

"I've found an abundance of information that could be of great use to you, Master Tom," said Trisha, her voice now containing an edge of confidence that only surfaced whenever she discussed the contents of books. She pointed one of her talons at a picture of the Bloodmoon. Before the moon, bathing in its red light, the silhouette of a feline let its presence be known.

"This book is an encyclopedia," said Trisha. "It didn't contain a lot of useful information, apart from this one page, which speaks of a deity that's linked to the Bloodmoon, but there are no further details beyond that."

"Alright," Tom nodded and continued listening patiently to Trisha, who picked pointed at the second book.

"I'd ruled the book out as being completely worthless until I stumbled across this one," Trisha explained while pointing at the second book. "While no direct link between this book and the first is stated, I believe they both speak of the same deity. You see, the first one speaks of the existence of a goddess residing within the Bloodmoon, or more specifically, trapped inside it."

"Trapped?" Tom asked with an arched eyebrow. Trisha nodded.

"Yes, trapped," she affirmed. "Her name is Tarlala. She's supposedly one of the first beings who were given birth to by the Universe at the beginning of time. She's very powerful, but also lazy and prone to trickery, and loves taking up the form of a feline, which fits together with the vague description of the goddess in the first book." Trisha paused. "Sadly, there wasn't anything written specifically about her in the book, only about her mask. It says that she was outcast by the gods due to her deceitful nature, and they robbed her of her identity by stripping her of her face. To match her faceless appearance, she then carved a mask that matched her feline features. The mask contains her very essence. Anyway, the book then goes on to describe her taking interest in the realm of mortals and mentions that she created the Bloodmoon to quench her eternal thirst for trickery, but, like the other book, it doesn't go into any specifics. Instead, it goes on about sightings and mentions several theories."

"Alright, but why is she trapped inside the Bloodmoon?"

"There are several stories mentioned in the book, but the most likely one is that, due to so much of her power being expended during the creation of the mask, she could no longer retain her ethereal form without some form of anchor, so she placed the remainder of herself inside the very moon she'd created."

"Couldn't she just wear the mask and retain her form?"

"She could, but she chooses not to."

"Why?"

"The reason isn't stated in the second book. Like I said, it doesn't offer any specifics."

"That's where the third book comes in, right?" Tom asked, leaning back into his seat. Trisha nodded and picked up the fourth book, then inched closer to Tom so that he, too, could read the text.

"Indeed, Master Tom-"

"-Tom"

"Oh, alright, _Tom_ ," Trisha corrected herself. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Trisha cleared her throat to rid herself of the tension, and continued, "Um, _The Offspring of None_ is a story that talks about a girl who, as the title suggests, the child of nobody."

"How does some random story have anything to do with the problem here?"

"Well, I've mentioned before that Tarlala was stripped of her face and outcast by the gods. Looking at it from a symbolical perspective, this means that she became Nobody. It's clever, actually."

"Not really... It's kinda stupid if you ask me."

Trisha puffed angrily at his remark.

"Regardless," she said with a bitter voice, "This girl, the child of none, is said to possess Tarlala's mask. Through it, the goddess influences on the events near the child to ensure her own entertainment. The mask also serves another purpose; It feeds off the love and misery of the fated couple, allowing Tarlala to, occasionally, take over the host's body. Why she does that, however, isn't mentioned in any of the books."

Trisha put down the third book and picked up the fourth, final book.

"Of what use could that thing possibly be?" said Tom, voicing his scepticism. Trisha arched an eyebrow at him. "No offence, but this book looks like some cheesy romance novel," Tom added.

"Well... that's because it is!" Trisha stated. "It's a book I read some time ago -a very good one, if I may add- and contains three stories of lovers."

"Then why-"

"Because, Tom," she interrupted him mid-sentence. "They all follow the same pattern. They all start with each of the couples dancing under the light of the Bloodmoon, and they all end with..." Trisha fell silent.

"How do they end?"

Trisha took a deep breath. Her tone was filled with sadness as the heavy words left her mouth.

"Sometime after the dance, each of the couples stumbles across a young girl. They form a bond with the girl and become a family. However, the bliss only lasts for a short period of time. Things turn for the worse and the lovers are forced to fight each other, unwillingly. One is killed in combat and the other takes his or her own life, while the fate of the young girl remains a mystery."

"Hmm..." Tom murmured as he rubbed his chin.

"What's more," Trisha continued, "All three of the couples have the same thing in common; The woman or girl was nobility, while her partner was a commoner or an outsider. And, while I can't say for certain, since I've yet to look it up, all three of the couples portrayed in the book are based on actual couples who lived apart exactly 667 years, which is equivalent to the period of time that passes in-between the Bloodmon Balls."

Tom sighed heavily.

"Crap," he mumbled. "Apart from having some kid with a cat mask randomly show up, Starship and Diaz fit the description perfectly..."

"Well, these are just stories and legends. There may be no truth to them, at all."

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that, sometimes, the craziest stories end up being true." Tom cursed silently, and said, "Does it say anywhere how you can stop things from escalating to the point that the two kill each other?"

Trisha shook her head.

"Not that I'm aware of, no. But I still have two stacks of books to read through, so I may find something, hopefully..."

"In that case, I think I'll help you."

"Really?" Trisha said, surprised by the sudden offer. "Wouldn't it be better to relay the newfound information to Princess Star Butterfly's betrothed?"

"What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Marco! Listen, you've been cursed by a goddess that looks like a cat for some reason, and you're probably screwed because we haven't found anything that could solve the problem!'"

"... fair point..."

Trisha closed the four books and stacked them atop of one another. As she was about to pick them up, Tom halted her.

"Let me do the lifting!"

"Are you sure?" Trisha asked, sceptically. "They're very heavy..."

"Pfff, heavy!" Tom brushed her worry away and made a roll-up-sleeves gesture, then said cockily as he was about to pick them up, "How 'heavy' could four books possibly be?"

"I did warn you..." Trisha said to a hunched over Tom, who was rubbing his aching back and mumbling angry curses under his breath as he walked alongside Trisha, who was carrying the four books with ease, down the corridor that leads to the castle's library.

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **:)**


	36. Chapter 7 3B

**A/N: What can I say? I tried finishing this sooner and failed...**

 **Anywho... I'm impressed with the fact that Daron keeps pissing people off while not giving a fuck; this woman is a true hero xD. But the concerns of (most) of the fandom are unnecessary. Why?**

 **I don't know how it isn't obvious, but the title of one Episode is 'Sophomore Slump' and it's summarised as 'Marco decides to put in a full effort to living life in the present on Earth.' I'm not gonna go into any details, but the title just gives too much away and makes the plot really predictable. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just google the terms 'Sophomore' and 'Slump' and let logic do the rest. If anyone wants a full explanation, PM me.**

 **Bedrock Armor: *inhales* Boi, I am among the first 20k people who bought that game! Used to play it 6+ hours daily with my friends back in elementary and in middle school, although I've since dropped my gaming habits in favour of reading and watching Anime.**

 **Anonymous. MISTER Anonymous: A lot of questions indeed. Don't worry, the answers will come. Eventually ;).**

 **Guest: Don't tempt me...**

 **Rock Raider: Yeah, she is the girl, that much is obvious. However, what is her true purpose and just _what_ is she really? That's the question you have to ask yourself, my friend.**

 **RobLebron: I put A LOT of work into developing Zora, so you still have much to learn about her. Tom will play a somewhat vital role, but yeah, he's blind AF at the moment. I'll update when I update; my shedule is packed full atm!**

 **Disclaimer: All characters from** _Star vs. The Forces of Evil_ **belong to the creators of the show. The plot of this story and any original characters that may appear in it, however, do belong to me and I would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this story in your own fanfic.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 3 (B)**

A yellow bird flew across the clear sapphire sky. It was soon joined by another, smaller of stature and brown of feathers. They danced across the sky, looping around each other in circles large and small, dipping down one moment and ascending back up into the air the next. They chirped happily while doing their performance, one that Marco was watching to distract himself and kill some time as he waited for whatever was to come next.

Honestly, watching those two birds frolic across the sky was also serving as a feeble attempt to take his mind off Janna's mischief. He couldn't lie to himself; he was nervous about the object she'd thrown into the raging fire underneath the crockpot, even if no harm had come from it until now, that is.

Maybe she was just trying to place a seed of unnecessary paranoia into his head? But why? Wasn't she on his side?

He dismissed the worrisome thoughts and looked towards Lady Maizewall, the acting head judge of his trial. The elderly woman was locked in a conversation with King River. From what he could tell, the two were calmly discussing something. They glanced at him every now and then, River's look appearing neutral while Lady Maizewall's was clearly judgemental towards him. The rest of the gathered mewmans didn't pay much attention to him; instead they kept talking to one another, undisturbed.

Lady Maizewall stood up from her chair and walked forward a few steps. The crowd fell silent. She gestured at Marco and then at the empty chair next to River and Moon. Marco crossed the distance and ignored the piercing stared directed at him by the crowd, then took his seat next to River.

Lady Maizewall clapped her hands together a couple of times, ensuring that she was now the centre of everyone's attention.

"My fellow mewmans, and others..." Marco frowned at the lowly remark but said nothing as Lady Maizewall continued in an even voice, "As many of you know, not too long ago, the hand of our Kingdom's most prized blossom, Princess Star of the royal Butterly family, was promised to the boy sitting beside his and her highness." All eyes were suddenly on Marco. He felt his stomach churn but managed to fake a smile and a calm wave of his hand.

"Just be looking at _the creature_ , I'm certain that all of you can easily tell that he is not of mewman or even of noble descent. He is a lowly human, a subspecies. Nothing more, perhaps even a bit less."

 _Stay calm, Marco. Stay calm._

"And yet our beloved princess fancies him over anyone else. How and more importantly _why_ is beyond me..." Lady Maizewall sighed and shook her head at Marco, frowning all the while.

 _What a b-_

"However," she continued before Marco could even finish his own thoughts. "We mewmans are a civilized and reasonable species. As such we have, under the plea of our righteous and just Queen Moon Butterfly, come together this fine day to judge whether said human is worthy of our princess' hand. In short, we have agreed to give him a chance and in the unlikely event that he proves himself, acknowledge him as our future prince and king. So, Marco-" Lady Maizewall looked straight at him as she said her next words, "Are you aware of the consequences that are to come should you fail the tasks before you and be judged as unworthy?"

Marco nodded solemnly. "I'll be denounced as Star's boyfriend and will no longer have the right to pursue a relationship with her. Is that right?"

"Oh my! You're smarter than you let on! Perhaps I'll hire you as my stable boy once you fail today's tasks! Haha!" All except for Moon and River and Buff Frog laughed at Lady Mazewall's remark, which was at Marco's expense. But he remained calm and merely glared at the woman. With a snap of her fingers, everyone fell silent in less than a moment. This helped Marco understand just how much authority the woman had within the mewman society.

"You are correct, Marco," she said. "We will not prevent you from seeing her, but anything beyond the status of an ally will be off-limits. Do you give us your word to uphold your end of the bargain?"

"Only if you promise to uphold yours, because I'm not failing today!" Marco responded with clear determination. There was no way in hell that he'd lose Star in such a stupid way.

Lady Maizewall flashed him a cheeky smile.

"I'll stay true to my word, earthling," she promised. Marco noticed her smug tone; she was clearly telling him 'I won't be the one who'll have to uphold their end of the deal'.

"Good," Marco responded, coldly-

Lady Maizewall turned to the rest of the audience, and asked aloud, "Do you all swear to speak the truth of today's events, however they may transpire, and accept the outcome, regardless of what it may be?"

"We swear!" the mewmans replied in unison.

"So do I!" Marco exclaimed.

Lady Maizewall smiled coldly.

"...As do I," she said. "Now that this bit is settled, are you ready for the first task, boy?"

"I say bring it on!"

"Very well." Lady Maizewall said with a smug intonation that angered Marco; she truly believed he'd fail miserably. She turned to look at one of the mewmans who was sat in the front row of the observers and nodded once. This served as a signal for the man to stand up and walk over to her.

"This is Sir Lorkins," she introduced the young man to Marco. He was also dressed for the occasion, but more humbly than Lady Maizewall; A regular blue buttoned-up vest was strapped over a white long-sleaved shirt. Atop of his head was a blue and golden hat. His pants were brown and the colour of his boots matched his vest. Unlike Lady Maiezewall, his eyes and soft smile gave off a vibe of kindness.

"A pleasure to meet you, Marco Diaz of Earth," he said whilst smiling kindly and bowing. By this gesture alone, Marco could tell that he was much nicer than Lady Maizewall. Marco smiled and returned the gesture by inclining his head respectfully.

"Sir Lorkins is the one tasked with explaining both the rules of every challenge and the objective you need to complete in each one in order to pass," Lady Maizewall clarified.

"The three challenges are designed to test the three virtues within you that every ruler must possess; wit, perseverance and strength." Sir Lorkins added. "There first test shall be the test of wit. Are you ready?"

Marco nodded.

"Alright. Then let us proceed with the trial," Sir Lorkins said and looked at River and Moon. "Your Majesties, I believe this is your queue."

Marco watched as Moon and River stood up and walked over to the small group. It was then that Marco noticed three letters in Moon's hand, all stamped and sealed with what he presumed was the symbol of Mewni.

"Marco," Sir Lorkins spoke. "What you see in our Queen's hand are three envelopes containing the reports of our most trusted spymasters; Sir Wiltshire, Sir Fredrick and Lady Rossbell. They each report directly to the King and Queen by having letters delivered to the royal mailbox-"

"You guys have a mailbox?" asked Marco as he eyed the letter on Moon's hand.

"Doesn't every royal family have one?" River inquired, shrugging.

"Ahem," Sir Lorkins interrupted the interruption. "May I finish?"

"Right... Sorry..." Marco apologised and chuckled awkwardly.

"As I was saying; as King you are obliged to read the reports and take appropriate action based on them. Sometimes they are reports of other kingdoms conspiring against us, sometimes they contain rumours of assassinations, sometimes of an increase in the number of armed forces in our neighbouring kingdoms, and similar," Lorkins explained. "Your first task, Marco, is fairly simple. The Queen shall hand you the three envelopes containing the reports of our three spymasters, and you will have to take action. Your decisions will then be judged by the royal council, whose members are all present and accounted for. To pass this test, at least two of your decisions must go through. Understood?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Marco.

"Good. Let us proceed, then." Sir Lorkins looked at Queen Moon and bowed his head humbly. "My Queen, if you would hand him the first envelope."

Moon did as instructed and gave Marco one of the three white envelopes.

"Go on, Marco, open it and read the letter that's inside," she beckoned him.

Marco nodded and opened the envelope. Paper in hand, he cleared his throat, and read:

 _My liege!_

 _I write to you with shocking news!_

 _Sir Wiltshire, your royal spy, tried to have me assassinated to make sure I wouldn't discover his plot to kill Sir Wiltshire!_

 _Signed,_

 _Your Humble Spymaster,_ _Sir Wiltshire._

"Uhhhhh..." Marco looked up at the King and Queen. Both of them stared at him with deadpan looks, unsure how to ever react to... that...

Marco, however, thought they were waiting for his assession. He said, finding it to be the most logical thing to do, "Um, we fire this guy...?"

"That... is actually a wise suggestion..." Moon admitted in a slow and deadpan voice; there was no doubt that the council would agree with his decision. However, this was the last time she'd let River assign positions of high importance to her their servants without her supervision. Honestly, the man would probably marry an Eagle if the opportunity presented itself...

Moon snatched the letter from Marco's hands and stuffed it carelessly into one of her husband's pockets. She would have a talk with him about this later, for now, she had other obligations to fulfil. In light of said obligations, she handed Marco the second envelope that was sealed with equal care as the last.

Marco took out the letter and opened it and read forth:

 _My liege,_

 _During my time in the Uni Kingdom, I've come to the conclusion that they remain as loyal to us as ever._

 _Should I remain here or return to Mewni so that I may receive further instructions?_

 _Signed,_

 _Your humble and loyal servant, Lady Rossbell._

 _P.S. Please have me recalled; I feel silly walking around disguised as a giant Unicorn head (and I'm astounded that anybody has yet to notice my disguise... We need new allies...)_

"You're spying on Princess Ponyhead's family!? I thought you were friends!" Marco exclaimed, taking his eyes off the letter to look at River and Moon in shock.

"Which is exactly why we must be all the more cautious!" River proclaimed sternly. "After all, Marco, do you know what the worst part about betrayal is, hmm?" Marco stared at him blankly, having no clue where he was going with this.

"It doesn't come from your enemies, but the people you trust the most and call 'friend'," River muttered. "Don't get me wrong, Marco; we don't mistrust them, King Pony Head and I have been friends and allies for ages; but you can only trust someone 99.99%, never 100%, remember this!"

"More importantly," Lady Maizewall decided to contribute to the conversation. "What course of action shall you advise that we take, Marco Diaz?"

Marco remained silent. He was assuming that the decision was whether it would be better to keep the spy there or recall her.

"I dunno... I'd say we recall her. She doesn't sound very happy about having to be there."

"Alright, and now the last envelope," Sir Lorkins said as Moon handed Marco the final envelope, which he promptly opened and read aloud.

 _This is your trusted spymaster reporting._

 _There seems to be a bit of a situation in the Mermaid Kingdom; I... made a joke, you know, the one about the horse and the long face. Well... there were seahorses present and it turns out that one of them was her Highness' cousin, and now they want to feed me to the sharks..._

 _So... Um... Could you please send a diplomat to have me pardoned before I'm eaten alive?_

 _Signed, Sir Fredrick_

"You know what, I'm starting to question whether you're appointing the right people for these jobs," Marco commented as the four stared at him in complete silence.

"I'm beginning to question that, as well," Moon muttered while glaring daggers at her husband, who looked into the air and whistled casually.

Marco returned the letter to Queen Moon, and said, "So, yeah, I'd say fire this guy, too, but after we send someone over there to bail him out."

Lady Maizewall didn't seem very pleased with his decision, which meant that it was probably the correct one.

"Do we even need to pass this on to the council?" Moon asked sarcastically, well aware that it would only be a waste of time.

"We've heard everything," one of the council members, a bearded elderly man with a big gut commented from his seat. "While we disagree with the boy's second decision since it shows insecurity and far too much compassion, but we agree with his other two decisions. Therefore, he has passed this first trial."

"So it would seem..." Lazy Maizewall grumbled bitterly, crossing her arms and glaring down at Marco. "You're not in the clear yet, boy! You may have gotten lucky this time, but the true test begins shortly!"

With that, she walked off back to her seat.

"Well, I'm gonna go and see whether the next task is all set up," Sir Lorkins stated and walked off.

"Nice job, Marco!" River exclaimed happily and patted him on the back. "One down, one more to go! Haha!"

"If you'll excuse us, I would like to have a word with my husband about certain matters!" Moon said angrily, still glaring at her husband, who swallowed nervously. With that, the two also walked off, leaving Marco to himself. He blinked a couple of times.

 _What the hell was this challenge!? I thought these were supposed to be serious!_

Marco wasn't sure whether they were making fun of him or whether Mewni truly was run by a handful of bimbos, apart from Queen Moon and King Ri... Apart from Queen Moon. Seriously; how could two of the top three spies be so incompetent that simply firing them was a good enough judgement to have him pass the test!? No matter how much he mulled it over, it still didn't make any sense!

 _Hold on..._ A thought crossed his mind and he looked over to the carriage that he'd arrived in. His eyes immediately widened in shock. There was Janna holding the real envelopes that he was supposed to open and read. She gave him a thumbs up and vanished into the carriage before someone saw her.

 _She faked the letters! I thought I told her to stay out of this!_

Marco noticed that nobody was paying any mind to him, so he walked over to the carriage and stuck his head inside. However, there was no sign of the mischievous girl. The only thing he noticed was a letter lying on the floor of the carriage. He picked it up and felt his blood boil as he read the familiar handwriting, finally realising why the writing on two of the letters had been so familiar.

 _I'm helping you, whether you like it or not._

 _-Janna_

 _P.S. In my defence I only faked two of the letters._

"Janna!" Marco grumbled angrily and tuck the paper into his pocket before anyone found it.

"Marco, what are you doing over there? It'll soon be time to commence your second trial, so come over here, at once!" he heard Moon cry out, sounding displeased by his sudden absence.

"Coming!" he exclaimed and backed away from the carriage.

 _Is it considered cheating if it's done against my will?_ he thought, hoping to catch Janna and confront her before she interfered for the second time. As much as he wanted to beat the trials, he wanted to do so by fair means.

Cheaters never prosper, after all.

Except not really.

 _ **End of Part 3B!**_

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes:**

 **That does it for this chapter! From now on I'm not even gonna bother putting up an 'expected update' since I've just become so unreliable... In short, it'll come when it'll come, but I'll try to keep it at every 2 weeks +/- a few days. Until then, bye!**


	37. I've been busy ok?

**A/N: In case any of you have been wondering 'where has your lazy ass been for the last 3 weeks' my answer is studying and doing research for 2 separate papers I have to hand in by the end of the month. Fanfiction isn't my job, it is my hobby, and I can't prioritise it over my studies.**

 **That being said, the next chapter will be out this Sunday or Monday. Roughly half of it is done, and I'll work on the other half tonight and tomorrow, then send it to my beta-reader. See you guys then!**

 **-jolleIQ**


	38. Chapter 7 4B

**A/N: There will _likely_ be no further updates until mid-December. My academic schedule is packed full for the next few weeks so I'll have to shove my writing aside until then. I hope for your understanding.**

 **On a side note, I'm kinda let down by the lack of creativity of Season 3; not only was it highly predictable (My speculations were all proven to be true) but it looks to me as though the creators are, yet again, going to follow their trend of giving a character the spotlight in 1-2 episodes, then cutting them off almost entirely. (I'm talking about Tom since he and Star are back together -took them an incredible 2 episodes... How has the guy responsible for pacing not been fired yet?-).**

 **Looking back on 'My Star' I've noticed an overload of clichés present within it, along with a lack of diversity and creativity. In short; I am happy with what I've written but it could have been done soooooo much better! I'm going to let you in on a little secret: 'My Star' was supposed to end with Tom being prince Shining and Marco marrying Star. Generic, boring and talentless plotting and writing. Upon realising that, I made some adjustments and vowed to fix everything I did wrong with this sequel. Obviously I still had (have) to close some open plot-points, Marco's trial being the final one, and after this chapter is done I can finally start writing this fanfic the way it was supposed to be written. Fair warning: You will not like the direction it's about to take and you will hate me for the ending.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **RedHood001: They probably contained something just as stupid.**

 **Bedrock Armor: Trust me, they do xD**

 **Sussy: Long story short; they're forcing another love-triangle to spite the viewers and delay the inevitable. Kinda sad that they went for the cheapest and most uncreative story route...**

 **Rock Raider: OMG! THAT'S INCREDIBLE! Your guess has absolutely nothing to do with this chapter xD!**

 **Blazing Fire Star Kid 01: It's jolleIQ and I'm proud to say that I'm the first one who designed her as a female!**

 **Starshine89: Yeah, I'll take some time off to sort things out. I hope people won't be mad, I just need a slight break from writing right now.**

 **RedHood001: I'm taking about a month off to focus on college. But I'll be back better than ever! Mark my words!**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 4 (B)**

The rural areas of Mewni were much like a colourful canvas; painted all about with specks of yellows, browns, greens and several other colours. The Mewman farmers were the ones responsible for ensuring that no spot on the canvas was left unpainted, be it during cold or warm times. They planted and harvested various types of farm produce all year round and supplied the cities and settlements of Mewni with fresh food. The prominent farm produce was the grain that served not only as Mewni's main food source but was also the key to holding together the kingdom's economic infrastructure since it accounted for over half of the kingdom's exported products.

Maize.

Or corn, as it was more commonly referred to.

Wherever one set foot, avoiding this tall, green plant and its yellow offsprings was impossible. There would always be at least one cornfield wherever one looked, some the size of a large garden, others surpassing the size of the mewman capital. Dent corn, sweet corn, flint corn, even popcorn could be found on those fields. The mewmans' cared little about which type of corn they ate; to them this sacred and treasured plant was worth the world.

However, the farmers tasked with maintaining these fields were not treated as highly. They were at the very bottom of the pyramid, sometimes even beggars were better off than them. The land they worked on and processed was not theirs but belonged to the mewman nobility that was akin to the feudal lords of old on Earth. These farmers worked tirelessly day in and day out and were given just barely enough compensation for their work to make it through the winter. This ensured that they would never have enough to buy their independence and would have to keep working for the rest of their lives.

They were free, that much was true, but their freedom was an illusion.

Their struggles did not go unnoticed; Moon and River had passed numerous laws to better the farmers' position, like lesser taxes and a higher earnings but that did not improve their position by a significant amount. The nobles who owned these large plots of land only looked out for themselves and always found some hole in the mewman constitution that allowed them to keep the farmers under their direct control and deprive them of their rightful share of produce.

To better their own position, the farmers had, several generations ago, stepped together and crafted so-called farm-settlements; villages and towns whose population consisted entirely of farmers and their families. These were not like regular towns; they were small, usually no larger than 20 or 30 houses, and their sole purpose was to have all of the farmers in charge of processing one area gathered up in one place, so they could more easily organise their work and step together if the need arose. They helped one another out whenever and wherever they could. If one family found itself on the brink of starvation, the others would step together and help said family out, without expecting anything in return. Their solidarity was the sole reason for Mewni's prosperity despite the unjust regime dictated by the noble families.

Atop of a large hill shadowing over such a village, a lizard dressed in a neat, black tuxedo smiled to himself and took a good whiff of the air. "Ahh. The smell of mewman hypocrisy and corruption," he sighed with a malicious grin.

Toffee snapped his fingers and behind him gathered a line of monsters, all clad in armour and wielding weapons and torches. Some even carried pots of black oil with them.

"Burn it... and leave none alive!" he ordered and watched the lines of monsters descend down the hill towards the village, ready to set it aflame and kill all in their path. As the buildings were set ablaze and people screamed in terror, Toffee looked up towards the sky with a vengeful glare.

"We've not forgotten your treachery, Moon," he said with a dark and husky voice that betrayed his anger. "We will have our vengeance, and we shall not stop until you and your kingdom are reduced to ashes..."

 ** _At the trial_**

"Wait, so the 2nd challenge is gonna be an eating competition?" asked Marco. Sir Lorkins nodded.

The two were presently seated at a large rectangular wooden table and discussing Marco's next challenge while the rest of the gathered folk ate the freshly prepared food. Marco took notice of the overload of corn-based foods but commented not.

"Indeed, Marco," Sir Lorkins responded while nibbling on his corndog. "Well, it's not really a contest. You'll just have to eat all of the boiled corn that the chefs have been busy preparing in that oversized crock pot over there," added Lorkins and pointed at the large, black pot that was settled atop of a fire. Marco was still wondering what Janna had thrown in there earlier, but he decided not to worry about it.

"Alright," Marco replied. "But what's the whole point of that challenge? No offence but it sounds kinda dumb and pointless."

"Dumb and pointless!? Corn is very sacred to us mewmans!" Sir Lorkins proclaimed, sounding as offended as though someone had insulted his own mother. "We expect that our future rulers cherish it just as much as we do, if not more!"

"I already like corn," responded Marco, his arms crossed. "I don't see how stuffing myself with a pile of boiled corn is gonna prove anything."

"Well we mewmans believe that a great ruler must have an even greater stomach!" Marco looked at Sir Lorking sceptically. Sir Lorkins sighed and leant closer to Marco and whispered into his ear, "Believe me, I know it's stupid! Why else would you think the mewmans happily accept _him_ as our king!"

Marco looked over to where Sir Lorkins was pointing at and saw King River stuffing his face with food, gobbling down bite after bite as the rest of the mewmans watched him do so with awe in their eyes.

"I have nothing against the man, but his, um, 'cognitive' abilities are not exactly on the level one would expect from the King... Then again I've noticed that we mewmans aren't exactly the brightest bunch... " Sir Lorkins added. As if wanting to prove his point, River let out a large burp and the gathered mewmans erupted into a loud cheer. Moon merely slapped her forehead.

"Fair point," admitted Marco. Smiling, he said, "Anyway, thanks for giving me a heads up about it. I was just about to eat some of this delicious looking food."

"The plan was to have you stuff your face before the eating challenge so that you would fail," stated Lorkins. Marco stared at him, wide-eyed. "It's no secret that Lady Maizewall wishes to see you fail today's trial, but I could not let you lose by such dishonourable methods! A victory obtained through cheating is no true victory!"

Marco nodded.

 _I gotta find Janna,_ he reminded himself, taking note of Sir Lorkins' words, which he agreed with.

"Ah, look!" exclaimed Sir Lorkins suddenly and pointed towards a mewman dressed in silly, colourful clothes and wearing a silly hat. "The jester has arrived to entertain us during this brief respite!"

Upon hearing that, all the gathered mewmans -aside from River who kept stuffing his face with corndogs- looked towards the jester, who bowed briefly.

"I am here to entertain you, gentlemen," he said. "What silly act of pure humiliation will you have me do for your entertainment?"

"Tell us a good joke!" one mewman requested. The rest of the men and women cried in agreement.

"As you wish! I shall 'crack a joke' or however it is that you say it!" the jester proclaimed and cleared his throat, then began telling his joke.

"So, a horse walks into a bar. And he's confused, you know, 'cause he's a horse. What is he even doing in a bar in the first place? A wild animal doesn't belong in there! So he starts rampaging, the horse. Kicking the tables and injuring the guests. He was scared, you know, probably thinking something like 'I'm a horse! What the heck am I doing in a bar!?'. He was scared, frightened and he wouldn't stop rampaging."

There was a long pause and everyone stared at the jester with blank expressions.

"So we put him down... Shot him in the head... Six times..."

There was another awkward pose as nobody was willing to speak up.

"He's gone now, the horse... He's gone now..." Everyone at the table silently watched the jester break down in tears and sob violently whilst covering his eyes with both hands, weeping away the tragic and bloody memories.

"That was disturbing..." Marco muttered to Sir Lorkins, who could only nod in agreement.

While everyone watched the jester's mental breakdown as he kept crying and screaming 'Why!?' to the heavens like a madman, Marco, out of the corner of his eye, noticed someone very familiar creeping around the table, crouched so that nobody would spot her. She kept going from person to person, reaching into their pockets and taking out anything and everything of value.

Marco grit his teeth and excused himself from the table, then dashed around to the location where he'd last seen the thieving girl. His actions went unnoticed as the guests had their gazes locked onto the jester, who was now threatening to set himself on fire to gain redemption for the slaughtering of an innocent creature. He looked serious about it and even had a lighter and some lantern oil in his hands.

Marco was tempted to watch the display of self-torture but, alas, he still had to find Janna and have a good chat with her. He was also considering ratting her out and having her serve a little dungeon time, but knowing her, she would see it as more of a reward than a punishment, so he dismissed the thought and continued looking for her.

When he finally spotted her, his eyes widened and his heart stopped for a moment; she was in the middle of robbing Queen Moon!

Marco dashed so swiftly towards her that he nearly stumbled and fell. Fortunately he knew how to keep his footing. He grabbed Janna by the hand and pulled her underneath the table fiercely, and just in time.

"Hmm?" Moon looked behind herself, seeming confused.

"Is everything alright, Moonpie?" River asked, noticing his wife's sudden alarm.

"I don't know why, but I have this strange feeling that someone was robbing me blind."

River chucked, earning a glare from Moon.

"Don't be silly! Who in their right mind would be dumb enough to rob a queen?"

" **Who in their right mind would be dumb enough to rob a queen!?** " Marco hissed at Janna, who merely rolled her eyes and reached into her right pocket, then took out a fancy golden watch embedded with diamonds and rubies.

"Want something? I'll sell it to you for $5," she said, looking to make a quick buck.

"You realise that that watch is probably worth more than your house, right?" replied Marco, unamused.

"Fine... $4. You drive a hard bargain, Diaz."

Marco stared at her flatly with crossed arms and a puffed out chest. Janna sighed.

"Alright, I can take a hint!" she said as she pocketed the watch. "Why did you pull me under this table?"

"We need to talk," said Marco with a stern voice.

"Uh, no we do not!" Janna replied and turned away from him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to take care of." She was about to leave but Marco grabbed her by the hand. She struggled to break free, but Marco's grip was too strong.

"I'm not letting you leave until I get some answers, Janna!" Marco said sternly and stared at her. She was about to protest but noticed the anger in his eyes.

"Ugh, fine!" she grumbled and sat back down, facing him. "What do you want me to answer?"

"For starters, why are you going around and pickpocketing people?"

"To get some free stuff, duh! What other reason could there be?" she responded casually. Marco figured that arguing with her about it would be a waste of time, so he asked the next question.

"Why are you helping me cheat? I thought I told you that I wanted to do this thing fairly and by myself!"

"And risk losing Star?"

Marco had no response to that. He could only stare at Janna with wide eyes, his body frozen stiff.

"I..." he tried coming up with a response but fell short of one. All day long he'd been distracting himself from the severity of the situation; now that Janna had reminded him of it, his brain short-circuited and had trouble rebooting itself.

"Listen," Janna spoke, edging closer to him. "I'm not saying that you have to like cheating or that you have to agree with it in any other situation, but this is different! Star's my friend and so are you. I just don't wanna see you two get separated because of dumb crap like this."

"Your intentions are... oddly pure... what are you up to?" Marco asked with narrowed eyes, not fully buying her act. He knew Janna and she would never say anything like that.

Janna groaned irritably.

"I'm not proud of it either and it's gonna take a long time for me to recover from this, but I'm not up to anything evil this time. I just don't wanna see two of my closest friends getting hurt, alright?" she explained, looking very irritated as she was going against her typical attitude.

Marco looked her straight in the eyes. She didn't flinch and stared back at him seriously as if wanting to say "Trust me already, will ya?". And for the first time in... ever, he believed her.

Before he could say anything, however, Janna spoke up with a sincere voice, "Will you please for just this one day set your stupid moral pride aside and let me help you?"

It took Marco an hour-long minute of silence and thinking to come to a decision. He took a deep, reluctant breath and nodded.

"Alright. If it's for Star then I'll agree to it," he stated, completely serious. He then noticed a victorious smile present on Janna's face. "What's with the smile?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied. "But thanks for letting me know that whenever I want anything from you, I just gotta mention your precious little princess. I'm sure that this information will be quite useful in the future!"

Marco narrowed his eyes angrily at her. This girl really was an expert in turning every situation in her favour. He suddenly remembered something else he wanted to ask her.

"By the way, what was that thing you threw into the firepit earlier? It wasn't anything dangerous, was it?" He asked, wanting to interrogate her before making any further decisions. "I'll let you help me but you gotta promise that nobody is going to get hurt by any of your plans!"

"Don't worry, dude! I just threw my trademark Janna-stinkbomb in there, no big deal."

"Stinkbomb!?"

"Yes, stinkbomb," Janna confirmed, smiling slyly.

"Why would you throw a stink bomb into a firepit!?"

"Relax already, will ya," Janna said calmly to an enraged Marco. "I have it all planned out. Once that thing goes off, this whole place is gonna reak so badly that they're gonna have to cancel this whole eating-thingy and have you pass by default."

Marco stared at her blankly before frowning angrily. "How do you know that's what's gonna happen?"

"Because it's written in the rule book, duh!"

"How do you know what's written in there?"

Janna shook her head, disappointed. "Tsk-tsk, I'm ashamed of how little you know about me after all these years," she said and took out said rulebook from underneath her hat with a proud smirk.

"Please don't tell me that you stole that thing..."

"I would but I don't like lying. I have my standards, too, you know," she said with a shrug and took out said book out from underneath her hat and displayed it with a prideful smirk. Marco merely sighed and slapped his forehead, then shook his head.

"Alright. As long as it's safe and won't poison anyone, I'm cool with it," he said, forcing the words out of his mouth. Agruing with her was pointless, so it was better to just make compromises and live with it, he thought.

Just then, he heard Sir Lorkins calling for him. It was time for the next trial to commence.

"I gotta go. Can't afford to miss it," he said, then swiftly added, "And for the love of God do not rob any more people!"

As he was leaving his hideout, Janna said, "That thing I threw into the fire should go off any minute now. Fair warning, it's the most revolting smell known to mankind!"

"I'm not even gonna ask what you put into it!" Marco told her and stood up from underneath the table.

 _I still can't believe that nobody overheard us. Are these guys for real?_

"Ah! Marco! There you are!" said Sir Lorkins upon seeing the boy approach him. Next to Sir Lorkins was Lazy Maizewall and behind the two was a small table piled up with boiled corn. Marco greeted him with a casual "Hey."

"Are you ready to begin the second trial?" Lorkins asked.

"Or have you come to your senses and decided to quit before you are utterly humiliated?" added Lady Maizewall with a smug undertone.

"Lady Maizewall, that is no way for a noble such as yourself to behave. Honestly..." Sir Lorkins said with a sigh, then turned his attention back to Marco. "I've already explained the second challenge. It's very simple; consume all of that boiled corn before sundown and you pass. Otherwise you will fail. Understood?"

Marco nodded and made his way over to the chair and sat down.

He looked towards the tables where the spectators were seated and saw Janna, now disguised in fancy mewman clothing that she'd nicked from several of the guests, talking to King River and having a good laugh, the latter not recognising her. Moon was in the middle of a conversation with another noble and didn't even bother with Janna. She'd probably seen through the disguise but was smart enough not to say anything.

While River was in the midst of a loud rant, Janna looked at Marco, then at the fire, and tapped her wrist a few times, signalling "It's time." He gave her a thumbs up and took a deep breath; he could probably hold it long enough for Sir Lorkins to deem the trial cancelled due to unusual circumstances and declare him victorious. Then he would finally be able to go home and tell Star, Zora and his parents the wonderful news.

Just as Sir Lorkins was about to declare the start of the second trial, he sniffed the air a few times.

"Wait. What's that smell?" he asked himself aloud. The rest of the mewmans followed suit and soon they were all sniffing the air.

 _Alright. I just have to hold my breath for a few seconds longer,_ thought Marco. He was still ashamed that he was going to claim victory by such dirty -or rather stinky- means, but all he could do now was play it cool and accept things for what they were.

"This smell!" Sir Lorkins exclaimed. "It smells... It smells... **absolutely wonderful**!" Lorkins suddenly shouted.

 _Huh!?_ Marco thought in disbelief as his eyes grew wide. Was that guy serious? He looked around himself and noticed that none of the mewmans was bothered by the smell. It was the exact opposite; they couldn't seem to get enough of it! Even Moon and River seemed to be enjoying it, as both of them had contempt smiles on their faces. Marco noticed the confused look on Janna's face as she too was holding her breath and looking all around herself in confusion and disbelief, unsure what was going on or why.

 _Didn't she say she threw a friggin stinkbomb into the fire?_ Marco wondered as the mewmans kept relishing in the smell that was being emitted from the fire.

Now curious, Marco decided to take a good whiff of the air for himself. He exhaled the air that he was holding captive in his lungs and inhaled a large breath of air through his nose.

Moments later everything went black.

"...Marco Diaz of Earth? Hello?" he heard a blurry voice call his name and felt someone lightly slapping his cheek.

Marco opened his eyes and saw Sir Lorkins kneeling over him, a worried frown on his face.

"Good, you're awake," said Lorkins with a deadpan voice and offered Marco a hand to help him get up on his feet. Once Marco was upright again, he rubbed his aching head and groaned.

"Ugh... What happened?" he asked Lorkins, who frowned sadly.

"Well, you-"

"You forfeited the second trial!" said Lady Maizewall cockily as she walked up to Marco with a vicious grin on her face.

"I did what now!?" Marco asked, alarmed and confused. _Wait... I... how!?_

"She's right," said Lorkins, seeming very unhappy. "By passing out on the stool, you deemed the challenge to be beyond your capabilities and thereby forfeited," Lorkins explained while Lady Meizewall flashed Marco a smug and victorious grin.

"But- what about the stench!?" said Marco frantically.

"Stench?" asked Lorkins, curious about what the earth boy was referring to. "If you mean that delightful odour that came and went, then I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish."

 _Of course they liked it... And here I was expecting something to actually make sense in this dimension..._

Marco sighed.

 _I knew I shouldn't have agreed to Janna's plan,_ he scolded himself. He looked over at said girl, who was sitting next to a confused and saddened River and Moon, who were feeling bad for him. Janna flashed him a sheepish grin and he responded with a glare, then turned towards Sir Lorkins. The latter cleared his throat, and said aloud, "Marco Diaz has decided not to partake in the second challenge, meaning that he was not successful in completing it. We shall now move on to the third and final trial, which shall decide whether he is deemed worthy of our princess' hand in marriage and becoming the successor of the royal crown."

"Unless he decides to forfeit and save himself the humiliation," snickered Lady Maizewall and flashed another cocky grin at Marco. He could feel his blood boil.

 _I can't wait to have her eat her own words once I win this thing!_

"I'm not forfeiting anything! This was just a fluke! I say bring it on!"

Sir Lorkins smiled.

"Very well then," he exclaimed. "Then we shall proceed to the final trial."

Marco smiled confidently. _That's right! Marco Diaz is ready for anything they throw at-_

"A battle to the death with Mewni's own champion swordsman, Sir Lotkame!" Lorkins exclaimed, and the crowd erupted into cheering while Marco's blood froze his veins.

 _Battle to the death!?_ he thought frantically and looked at Lady Maizewall, who grinned viciously at him.

"I hope you're ready to die, weakling..."

 _To be continued..._

 **BONUS!**

 **This is what the drafts of my chapters normally look like (some guy asked, I told him I'd make it public; take note that I am indeed 100% serious about this):**

PLOT:

Start off with a mewman village being attacked by monsters lead by Toffee

Marco confronts Janna

Lame horse joke at gathering by some dumbass jester

Trial time! (The corn eating thing)

Marco fails trial. SIDE NOTE: Make it as anticlimactic as humanly possible

Final trial: a 1 on 1 duel with Mewni's greatest swordsman (that guy that Shining beat/mentioned)


	39. A little treat for you guys

**I'm still busy at the moment and can't allow myself to be distracted (the next 2 weeks are rough but I should be able to update an extra long chapter to wrap up the current arc of the story fairly soon) but I got a message asking me to give you guys _something_ so I'm gonna go ahead and give you guys a few of the 'soon to come scenes' that I've shortened to prevent too many spoilers. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Marco."

The boy turned around to face his girlfriend, disappointment and hurt written on her face. Her next words stung him harder than a wasp. "I can not believe you! You can use magic and you haven't told me about it! How could you!? I _thought_ we agreed to trust each other, Marco Diaz!?"

"Oh snap! She just used his full name! That cannot be good!" Pony Head said. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

* * *

"What do you mean they took Zora away!?" Star yelled frantically, shaking Angie by the collar frantically. "How could you let this happen!? How!?"

Angie grabbed Star by the hands and frowned sadly.

"Star, I know you're not aware of how things work on Earth, but Zora has been illegally staying with us for these past few months. If we hadn't handed her over, we could have faced court charges..."

* * *

"Go on, my daughter," the woman said, handing Jackie a sharp dagger and wrapping her hand around it for her. "You've more than earned your revenge. Cherish every precious moment of it!"

Jackie stared at the sharp weapon, her reflection inside the polished steel staring back at her. Reluctantly, she raised her head and locked her eyes on the target before her.

Moon only smiled apologetically as Jackie slowly approached her with weapon in hand. From the other end of the hallway, still trapped inside the magical barrier, Star and Marco could only watch the events unfold, powerless to do anything.

* * *

"I know! Master Tom is truly wonderful!" Trisha giggled gleefully. "I wonder if he'd be ok with someone like me?"

"Well you're gonna have to get it line because I've already called dibs on him!" Janna proclaimed smugly. Trisha glared angrily at her and unsheathed her sharp talons. Janna took out her yo-yo and shot Trisha a menacing glance.

"Oh, it's on! You red feathered pathetic excuse of a vulture!"

* * *

A young Moon Butterfly sat atop of her high throne, staring sternly at the two kneeling prisoners that had been brought before her in chains. The couple looked up at her, resentment written in their eyes.

Hiding behind a pillar at the other side of the room, Moon spotted their offspring. She could only imagine how lost and confused the child had to be at this moment. Moon closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling herself. Upon opening them, she looked down at the two prisoners with bitter determination as she raised her right hand commandingly and gave the fatal order.

"Execute these two... _monsters_! Now!"

* * *

 _Oh, I can help you stop this calamity. For a price, that is._ Tarlala, mistress of the Bloodmoon, told Marco through their telepathic link. Her feline form glided over to him and stopped only when their faces were less than a hair's breadth apart, their gazes locked with each other.

Marco flinched not, and nodded, determined. "Ok. What do you want in exchange for your help?"

 _Nothing much; I just want to see the one who imprisoned me here all those aeons ago pay for her treachery!_

* * *

"This way," the masked assassin said, waving his hand and with it motioning for the group to follow him. Comet, Cosmos, Star and Zora - the latter sleeping on the blonde princess' shoulders - said not a word and continued following the tall man through the dark and murky forest.

They didn't get far as Star's vision began to blur and her footing became unstable. Exhausted from the day's endeavours, she stopped in place and wobbled from side to side for a few moments before collapsing into the ground, unconscious.

* * *

 **Well, now you guys know what I have in store! See you soon!**


	40. Extract from Chapter 7 Final

**A/N: An extract from the Chapter I'll upload this weekend. Enjoy ;)!**

* * *

"Toffee..."

The lizard lifted his head up slightly, just enough for Moon to see the daggers in his eyes, their sharp tips aimed directly at her.

"You don't have the right to call me that; not anymore..."

Moon frowned shamefully and was about to exit the chamber when Toffee decided to bury the bodkin of hatred further into her heart.

"How does it feel, hmm? How does it feel to be a deceiver and murderer?"

"I'm not a murde-"

" **Liar!** " his voice boomed throughout the chamber. Moon stood frozen in place, her back turned to him. Two guardsmen came rushing around the corner of the corridor and asked the Queen if something had happened. Moon told them that she had everything under control and dismissed them. Once the men were gone, she turned around to face Toffee. The hatred and resentment in his eyes burned like the fires of a thousand suns.

Moon spoke up, her voice firm and composed.

"What happened back then is a thing of the past. I have been trying to make amends for my actions. I-"

"Have been spewing lies and running away like the coward you really are!" Toffee cut in, his voice low and hoarse, filled with hate and anger.

Moon had no response.

She knew he was right.

But not entirely.

"I've changed, Toffee. I am no longer the same person I was thirteen years ago."

Toffee merely laughed at her statement, and replied, "So you claim. But you're still every bit of a liar and a deceiver as you were back then!"

Toffee walked over to the steel bars of his prison cell to get as close to her as possible, but the distance between them remained significant, Moon even backing away a bit to ensure that she was out of his tail's reach.

Toffee chuckled grimly.

"Are you scared of me, Moon? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't I, _a monster_ , be cowering before you? The self-proclaimed purifier of Mewni?"

"You know as well as I do that I had no choice!" Moon stomped her foot angrily and glared at the lizard. "I have been doing everything in my power to right the wrongs and erase my past!"

Toffee smirked maleficently and pushed the tip of his long head in between the steel bars, then said, "Genocide will forever taint your name, Queen Moon."

Moon's eyes grew wide. His words stunned her into submission and she fell silent, staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Your past and your fate are both sealed. There is no fleeing from either of them."

Toffee's voice was calm, eerily so. The smirk that accompanied his words was sly and cocky. He knew he had the Mewman Queen in his grasp, knew that his words were eating her from the inside, devouring her iron resolve.


	41. Chapter 7 5B

**A/N: Hi, guys! Boy, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I wanted to push this chapter out sooner, but college always comes first, and I didn't want to publish some half-assed chapter, hence the long delay. The next 1-2 updates should be as usual, but by the end of January/beginning of February I'll have my semester finals so there will be no updates during that time period. For now, please enjoy this chapter!**

 **Anyway, Merry Christmas to you all! I wish you all to have happy holidays, and remember to spend them with your families!**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 _ **Chapter 38:**_

 **Rock Raider: You were awfully close, but it's slightly different. And Toffee has already won; you'll see soon enough.**

 _ **Chapter 39:**_

 **Bedrock Armor: Sadly, that wasn't an actual update :P.**

 **RoaringWall: Yeah, things are going to be very hectic this year, but I'll manage.**

 **Rock Raider: VERY much is in store! I can say with near certainty that I have the most expansive plot in the svtfoe fanfiction universe!**

 **Guest: Either I make it happen or I don't. That's up for me to decide. But I'm sure that you'll be happy in the end.**

 _ **Chapter 40:**_

 **Rock Raider: Yes, next time, which is in about 2-3 days.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Part 5 (B)**

"Commander Toffee! Commander Toffee!"

Toffee sighed irritably and put down the cup of tea he'd been peacefully drinking just a moment ago. Through the opening of his tent rushed the owner of the frantic, squeaky voice, one of his many goblin scouts. While the small monsters were of little to no use in combat, they did make for excellent scouts as their diminutive stature allowed them to crawl into the narrowest of gaps and hide in the most unconventional of places without ever having to fret about being spotted.

Toffee stood up from his classy and comfy chair and offered the spot to the panting goblin, who'd probably run the entire length of the way to convey whatever information he had to his commander. The small creature hesitantly accepted the offered seat, as though this was some cruel test to see whether he was stupid and daring enough to take away the seat that rightfully belonged to his superior. That worry melted away as he sunk into the soft armchair, feeling as though he were sitting on a cloud of the softest wool known to both man and monster.

Toffee picked up the beige porcelain tea-can and poured a cup full of tea, which he offered to the goblin.

"Thank you, commander Toffee," the green creature said as he accepted the fragile cup filled with the steamy, hot, herbal liquid and carefully took a sip so he wouldn't burn his tongue.

After a time of silence, Toffee asked, "What have you learnt, Mizzik?"

Surprised and somewhat taken aback that Toffee had remembered his name, the name of a common and expendable scout, the goblin looked flustered as he gazed at Toffee with eyes as big as plates.

"Um..."

"Go on, just say what you have to say."

The small goblin nodded, and spoke, "We- **I've** gathered some, um, information that will please you, commander Toffee. While scouting in the vicinity of sector 11, I came across the most interesting sight. I saw an assemblage of mewman nobles sitting on the outskirts of the castle, out in the open! What's more, the King and Queen themselves were present at the event, along with 'the one'!"

"Hmm..." Toffee didn't seem particularly taken aback by the sudden news, which would have had any other leader shaking with excitement at the thought of having the advantage over his opponents without them even realizing it. Then again, he was always a step ahead. Instead, he calmly took another sip of tea as he contemplated the report and ran through the list of options that were now available to him, seeing as how he was one step ahead of the mewmans.

Toffee sat the cup of tea down onto the table and walked out of his tent wordlessly. The goblin rushed after him and soon caught up.

"What are we going to do?" the tiny monster asked as he walked beside Toffee, taking three steps for each one of Toffee's in an attempt to keep up with the tall lizard, who responded lazily.

"We're going to attack them while we have the element of surprise on our side. How many guardsmen were you able to identify?"

"I counted six in total, plus that traitor, Bulgolyubov!"

"That's a very scarce number. Scarce indeed... How were they dressed?"

"Four were dressed like normal soldiers."

"Alright. And the other two?"

"Armour from head to toe."

"What kind?"

"Looked like reinforced plating."

"They were knights, then," Toffee concluded. It was rare to see a pair of knights outside the mewman castle, which meant that the mewmans still thought that Toffee and his horde of monsters were farther away from the castle than they were in reality.

 _Mewman knights are fearsome warriors, but even the strongest warrior will fall if opposed by an entire army._

"Do you remember the way, Mizzik?"

"Always!"

"Then tell our forces to rally around my tent in 5 minutes. We march at once!"

"Yes, commander Toffee!"

With those words, the goblin began running from monster to monster, relaying Toffee's orders to each one. Toffee disappeared into his tent, sat down in his comfy armchair and poured himself another cup of tea.

"Honestly, a lizard can't even enjoy a good cup of tea these days," he mumbled indignantly and he took a sip of the hot, herbal drink, and sighed. "What has the world come to?"

 _ **At the trial:**_

"What manner of nonsense are you spewing!" River yelled, aiming a glare at Sir Lorkins, who looked at the diminutive king with a flustered expression. "This was never a challenge!"

"Sir Lorkins!" Moon exclaimed angrily, glaring at the announcer.

"What?"

"Be mindful of your phrasing! You're misleading the boy and everyone present at this event!"

"I beg your pa-" Lorkins cut himself short and giggled awkwardly. "You're right, my Queen. My bad..." Sir Lorkins cleared his throat and corrected his earlier mistake. "I meant to say a battle _with the deaf_ champion swordsman of Mewni, Sir Lotkame. My sincerest apologies to you all." Everyone stared at him silently. Sir Lorkins raised his arms in a fake-cheerful fashion and exclaimed, "Yay! Homophones, everyone! Aren't they fantastic?"

Marco stood there, dumbfounded. Did this mean that he wouldn't have to potentially kill someone?

 _Or the other way around..._

Sir Lorkins, as if having heard his thoughts, spoke up.

"In short, there will be no deaths this day."

Lady Maizewall and the majority of the gathered mewmans grumbled and groaned, disappointed at the lame turn of events, whereas Marco let out a long sigh of relief and brushed a drop of sweat from his forehead.

Sir Lorkins waited for a time to let things settle down a bit, then cleared his throat and said with a booming voice, "Without further ado, I present to you Mewni's champion swordsman who has yet to be bested by any, man, woman or monster - apart from that one guy - _Sir Lotkame_!"

With those words, the crowd erupted into a loud cheer anew. They clapped, whistled and hollered loudly; some even threw their hats into the air, like a group of graduates. Marco tensed up, his safe-kid instincts telling him that, despite the favourable outcome of the misunderstanding of the third and final trial, a tough challenge awaited him yet.

It was only after a full minute that the audience's euphoria died out. Despite Sir Lorkins's announcement, a legendary swordsman had yet to present themselves before them.

"I said," Sir Lorkins said, louder this time, "Introducing our champion swordsman, Sir Lotkame!"

Silence befell the audience again and everyone began looking around confusedly. The nobles soon began mumbling something among one another and shaking their heads disapprovingly at Lorkins. After calling the champion swordsman for a third consecutive time and looking like an unorganised fool, Lorkins's patience finally evaporated and erupted in a violent explosion.

" **I said, introducing Sir Lotkame!** " Lorkins shouted at the top of his lungs, scaring the nearby wildlife as birds fled the safety of their nests to escape the roaring lunatic. Even the people present seemed startled by Lorkins's sudden outburst. As there was still no sign of the swordsman in question, Lorkins lost it.

" **For the love of sweetcorn! Where is that old scarecrow!?"**

"Oh, shut up! I heard you the first time, I did!" responded a cranky, aged and rugged voice from amid the audience. The crowd parted in half to reveal an old, hunched-over mewman male, with a grey beard whose tip reached the ground and more folds on his skin than a blanket on an unmade bed.

The old man, with the help of a wooden walking cane, slowly limped forward, step by step. He stopped a few feet short in front of Marco, who was looking at him with a blank expression.

"Hmm..." Sir Lotkame mulled something over as he analysed Marco from head to toe, squinting as his vision was not what it had been several decades ago. He lifted his cane upwards and tapped Marco on the head experimentally.

"Ouch!" Marco whined, rubbing his forehead and glaring at the old man in irritation.

Sit Lotkame ignored Marco's protest towards his actions and continued eying him for a time, then voiced the conclusion he'd established with a smile on his cracked lips.

"You're a tough one, you are!"

"Oh, uh, thank you."

"...what?" Sir Lotkame placed a hand on his right ear. "Could you speak up, sunny?"

" **I said thank you!"**

"No need to shout at me! I heard you the first time, I did!" Sir Lotkame said angrily and walked past Marco to greet Queen Moon, each one of his limpy steps supported by his wooden cane.

As if the rules were suddenly turned upside-down, the royal couple bowed before the elderly swordsman.

"It is a great honour meeting you in person, Sir Lotkame."

"...what?"

"I said-" Moon silenced River by placing a hand over his mouth rapidly. She knew what would follow should her husband speak more loudly, and she'd grown weary of people shouting for no reason.

Moon smiled graciously at the man before her and knelt down so that she was on eye-level with him. She leant in closely and her lips nearly touched the nub of his right ear as she spoke, "We are thankful and honoured that you for agreed to partake in this sparring match with Mewni's future prince."

"The pleasure is all time, my Queen. Besides, I haven't had a good workout in ages! These old bones do need some exercise from time time. I just hope the boy can offer me some."

Both looked at Marco, who waved at them awkwardly, feeling jitters run through his body.

"He'll be up to the task. I hope..."

The two were interrupted by Lorkins, who cleared his throat and spoke proclaimingly, "Will you please tell Sir Lotkame to fetch his weapon of choice and ready himself for the sparring match, my Queen?"

Moon did as requested, and Sit Lotkame laughed loudly.

"My dear Queen, I'm already holding my weapon!"

To elaborate his statement, the old man tapped the round bulb at the top of his walking cane several times.

"Ol' Gretta and I have been partners for over ninety years! I haven't used any other armament than her since my tenth grandchild was born!"

"Why is he your champion swordsman if he doesn't even use a sword? How does that make any sense!?" Janna muttered to a nobleman standing next to her as she kept observing the events from within the crowd of nobles, dressed as one thanks to the stuff she'd nicked from them throughout the day.

Marco waited patiently for Sir Lotkame to walk over to him and a slow and gradual pace. Despite the old man's hunched over posture and seemingly fragile appearance, Marco had seen enough kung-fu movies in his life to know that the physical appearance of a warrior means close to nothing, and he knew very well that movies never lied about that kind of stuff.

Sit Lotkame grabbed one of Marco's hands unexpectedly and mumbled out an audible "hmm" as he examined it carefully. Marco allowed the elderly man to finish his examination, albeit it did make him feel a tad uneasy.

"These hands have seen combat plenty of times," he asserted, looking up at Marco who was a head taller than him. "Do you often fight?"

Marco mimicked Queen Moon by leaning in very closely to the old man's ear and spoke louder than usual.

"Uh, yeah. Star and I often fight monsters, plus I train karate."

Lotkame nodded approvingly, pleased with Marco's answer.

"Good. And do you trust yourself with protecting our princess?"

"Of course!" Marco declared boldly. "I'd never let anything happen to her. She's my best friend."

"And do you plan on taking on the responsibilities of being a king wholeheartedly? Not everyone is up to the challenge, you know."

"Yeah but, um, not to sound rude or anything but, um, why exactly are you asking me these questions?"

"With dreams to be a king first one should be a man," Lotkame said flatly, having ignored Marco's inquiry. "Are you a man?"

The two were interrupted by Sir Lorkins, who approached them closely enough so that even Sir Lotkame could hear him.

"I'd hate to disrupt your conversation, but we must proceed with the final trial. Mother will be upset if I'm not home for dinner." Sir Lorkins turner to Marco, who gathered all of his willpower to not laugh at Lorkins's statement, and spoke, "Which weapon are you most familiar with, Marco? A sword, perhaps? Or a pair of bodkins? Or are you perchance fond of battleaxes or warhammers? Or maybe-"

He was cut off by Lotkame, who spoke while looking at Marco.

"I think the boy would prefer to use his bare hands in combat. Or am I mistaken?"

Marco shook his head.

"No, I normally use my hands when fighting monsters. I've never really used an actual weapon."

"How distasteful," Lady Maizewall muttered to herself, mumbling going unheard by anyone else. Lorkins, Marco and Lotkame continued with their discussion.

"Very well," said Lorkins. "As you wish, Marco." He turned to Sir Lotkame and spoke much louder so that the old man would hear him. "Sir Lotkame, your weapon of choice is your cane, right?"

"She's called Gretta," Lotkame swiftly corrected him. "Yes, I'll use her."

"Alright. The rules are simple; whoever is incapable of continuing the fight first or concedes the fight is the winner. No breaking each other's bones; no foul language, we are civilised, after all; no blows under the belt; no throwing dynamite around and calling it a martial art; oh, and no using the audience members are living shields. Understood?"

Both participants nodded affirmingly.

"Very well then," Lotkame said aloud. "Please walk ten paces away from each other." Marco and Lotkame did as instructed, and Lorkins continued, "Now, without further delay, may the strongest combatant win! Gentlemen, you may begin!"

Marco took a deep, calming breath, exhaled heavily, then assumed a defensive position, his eyes focused solely on the opponent before him. Sir Lotkame, on the other hand, was much more relaxed and even had a smile plastered on his aged, wrinkly face. He hummed to himself as he approached Marco, step by little step. He stopped around halfway and said, "Are you going to make an old man like me walk over to you? My legs aren't what they used to be, you know."

Marco narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the man. Something about he lighthearted smile and his way of speaking was setting off numerous alarms in his head. It felt as though he was being baited into a trap of some sorts.

Marco stood still for a time, then reluctantly lowered his guard and approached the old man with great caution. His senses kept screaming at him to watch the man's every move, as though he'd pounce on him, like a cat after an unsuspecting mouse. His worries got the better of him and he nearly bumped into Lotkame before coming to an abrupt halt.

The elderly man chuckled merrily.

"You're the cautious type. Good. That'll keep you alive," he said, looking pleased. Marco nodded briefly in appreciation of the man's remark, then assumed a defensive stance by placing one foot forward and taking a step backwards with the other while spreading his shoulders wide and raising his arms defensively in front of his body, clenching both of his hands into solid fists that were angled upwards. Focus was written in his eyes as he waited for his opponent to strike.

 **"Monsters!"**

A cry of terror sounded from one of the guardsmen as he emerged from the nearby forest and grabbed everyone's attention. He ran frantically towards the rest of his companions but was stopped in his tracks as an arrow pierced his throat, the bloody tip of the arrow through the front of his throat and the man collapsed onto the ground, dead on the spot.

The nobles sat frozen upon their seats, their mouth agape and their eyes the size of plates.

Moon was the first to move, rushing towards Marco and Sir Lotkame while ordering the nobles to remain seated and calling the remaining guardsmen to her side.

"What's going on!?" Marco exclaimed frantically, a sudden panic overtaking him.

"We're under attack if it wasn't obvious enough!" Moon said, irritated by the boy's ignorance and frustrated that the monsters had picked now of all times to launch their attack.

The knights and guardsmen and Buff Frog were by her side at a moment's notice and awaited her instructions. While Moon relayed her orders to them, which involved evacuating the nobles and helping her fend off the monsters, Marco Spotted King River carrying the body of the fallen soldier on his back. He knew that the small king was fast and strong, but, even so, the speed at which he'd recovered the body was impressive, even for him. River laid the body down a few feet away from Marco and tested the man's pulse, then murmured something under his breath and stood up and walked over to Marco.

"Well, boy," River began, "Looks like your third trial is going to have to wait a bit longer! Go to the nobles and flee with them to the castle, you should be safe there and-"

"No way! I'm staying right here!" Marco said firmly, determined to help fend off the incoming attack in any way he could.

"Absolutely not!" Moon shouted, having overheard Marco. She had evidently finished giving orders to the men and was now stomping over to Marco with a dangerous look on her face. "I will not allow you to partake in this battle, Marco! What if something happens to you!?"

"I could say the same thing about you!" Marco retorted, surprising the queen. "There's, like, only a handful of soldiers here to help you! Face it; you need all the capable heads you can get!"

Moon growled furiously at him.

"Listen, Marco, I will not allow-"

"Oh, let the boy do it."

Moon looked down at the owner of the voice that had dared to cut in on her command. It was Sir Lotkame, who was smiling pleasantly.

"The boy looks like the stubborn type. You won't talk him out of it, no matter how hard you try." He looked at Marco and winked at him, to which Marco responded with a friendly smile. As Moon was about to protest, a warhorn thundered in the distance and she could see the shadowy silhouettes of monsters emerging from the surrounding forest.

"Also," Lotkame continued in a friendly manner, "It doesn't look like you have the time to argue about this with him, do you?"

Moon blinked twice, then sighed irritably, signalling her surrender. She looked at Marco, shook her head disapprovingly. "If you die, I will personally kill you!" she told him before rushing off towards the assembly of fleeing nobles. She would be serving as their last line of defence, should it come to that.

"Great! What should I do?" Marco said just as an arrow missed his head by the skin of his teeth and buried itself into the ground.

"Didn't you hear the queen?" Lotkame asked with sarcasm in his voice as he removed his long-sleeved shirt to reveal a very muscular and well-built body underneath it, which was commendable, considering how old he was. River, too, tore off his clothes, exposing his muscular chest and arms, and tied a loose piece of torn blue cloth around his forehead. Both looked at Marco expectingly, who raised his hands defensively.

"No thanks. I prefer to fight with my clothes on my body..."

"Your loss," River mumbled and turned away from Marco, then grinned eagerly and cracked his knuckles as he saw the first monster, a giant troll with a club, emerge from the trees and let loose a menacing roar.

"Let's kick some butt!" River proclaimed with fire in his eyes and charged at the beast without so much as giving it a moment of thought.

"You sure you want to do this?" Lotkame asked Marco. "Now's your last chance to back away and let us handle it. Are you sure you're ready?"

"Honestly, no," Marco admitted with a nervous grin. "But I've got a feeling that if I don't do this, Star will never let me live it down. And she'll probably wanna divorce me before we're even officially married..."

Lotkame chuckled loudly at the boy's remark.

"Hah! I'm starting to like you, boy! Just make sure that you don't die by the end of this. I've still got a score to settle with you, after all! Haha!"

Marco nodded once and took a calming breath as he turned to watch River knock the giant troll out with a single punch.

At that moment, a single thought crossed Marco's mind.

 _I am screwed._

 ** _To be continued..._**

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 **Chapter end notes: I hope you all liked it! Don't worry, the next update will come shortly! Anyway, remember to leave a review and a favourite, and see you next time!**

 **Bye!**

 _ **Expected update: 2-3 days**_


	42. Chapter 7 Final

**A/N: Hey, guys! The '2-3' days update didn't happen, unfortunately. I hope you guys aren't angry with me** **^^'. I should manage one more update within the next week or two (probably two) then there will be no further updates until mid-February (exam period).**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Guest: I've already mentioned that, plot-wise, the series has been dumpstered. Hoping for a more creative and overall better second half of Season 3.**

 **allen Vth: If you think his life took a spin back then, just wait for what's in store. And yes, she will be pissed.**

 **Bedrock Armor: College and novel-writing is tiresome stuff, dude. I work on this whenever I have the will and the spare time. A little late, but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, as well!**

 **Rock Raider: Who? I don't watch that show. The inspiration for him came from an entirely different character. Honestly, I just wanted to wrap this chapter up so I can get to writing the good stuff as soon as possible.**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Royal Wimps**

 **Final Part**

"It feels like we've been walking through these corridors for the past seven months!" Comet yelled angrily as she continued stomping down the seemingly endless, dark corridors of the ancient building. Her feet were sore and she was dang sure that they were walking in circles, not that she could tell, thanks to the fact that every segment of the walls looked like the other; even the writings all looked the same!

 _Allowing anger to get the better of you will not solve anything,_ Cosmos reminded her as he continued levitating next to her. _We'll reach the end eventually._

"I'm starting to doubt it." Comet let out a resigned sigh. "Why can't evil villains ever hide in nice places? Like spas or hair saloons? No! It always _has_ to be some damp and dull place in the middle of nowhere! And with tunnels! Why tunnels"? Like, isn't it counterproductive to have to walk for six hours every time you wanna leave your own home!? Seriously, I am just sooooo friggin done with-"

 _Looks like someone's in a mood,_ Cosmos thought to himself, careful to conceal his thoughts from the blonde teen who was rambling on and on endlessly. Cosmos's eyes gleamed suddenly as he picked up a peculiar smell with his canine nostrils and flew in front of Comet's face, blocking her passage. She glared at him irritably.

"What?"

 _There's a large room ahead of us! The air is much clearer!_

Comet just then noticed that, indeed, the air was less stuffy than about a hundred feet prior. Cosmos shuddered uneasily as his magical senses picked up a dark energy looming before them, very intense and mortifying. His body froze completely and it took him a time to recover from the shock. Once he was back to his senses, he noticed Comet staring at him with an alarmed look.

 _I'm fine_ , he assured her. _The sudden amount of dark magic just came as a shock, is all. I know this place is infested with it, but the amounts now compared to the ones before are like an ocean and droplets of rain. Be prepared._

Comet nodded with narrowed eyes and readied her wand before marching on. Despite the blackness of the tunnels, she could now recognise an opening at the end with slightly less dim light.

Walking towards it, Comet headed every step she took, well aware that beyond the point she was at, Death was looming around every corner.

She cautiously passed through the narrow corridor and scanned the medium-sized room with narrowed eyes. Despite being a little brighter than the pitch-black corridors, she still couldn't see properly. Were it not for the floating orb of light she'd summoned some time earlier, making anything out would have been an impossible task for the blonde girl. Not that there was much in the square room; it looked empty apart from the occasional, cliché spider web hanging here and there. A dead end, perhaps?

No, that wasn't it. Something was here, she could sense it.

Just as she was about to ask Cosmos for his opinion, she felt a sharp pain on her head and her whole world spun before her eyes. The wand flew out of her hand as she collapsed onto the cold stones beneath her feet.

Everything went dark.

 ** _Mewni_**

The battle... wasn't going as horribly as Marco had feared initially. River and Sir Lotkame kept pounding the heck out of the monsters, sometimes knocking even the fiercest-looking opponents flat with a single punch. The guards although few in number were doing an outstanding job of protecting the mewman nobles from harm as they fled the battlefield. Queen Moon, now in her mighty butterfly form, made quick work of any monster that dared approach the group too closely, blasting magical beams from her many hands and fending off oncoming retaliation from the monsters, who seemed to have brought a few mages with them. Marco could only shudder at the thought of how powerful the Queen must have been in her prime years and when the royal magical wand was still in her possession.

Marco was particularly impressed by Sir Lotkame. Whenever the small, elderly man swung his walking stick -Gertrude- and hit one of the attackers, Marco heard the sound of crunching bones, followed by the agonizing scream of Lotkame's victim. Even in three-on-one situations Lotkame easily swept aside the much larger and stronger-looking monsters, leaving them either knocked out or turning on the ground in pain, all the while not breaking a single drop of sweat; he was enjoying the exercise, by the looks of things.

Maybe all those stereotypes of the hidden power of aged warriors were true after all?

River was fierce and bloodthirsty as ever, charging at his opponents head-on and ramming into them, biting them, punching them and lifting them off the ground, only to throw them at oncoming attackers and knock them flat. What terrified Marco, in particular, was the fact that he'd seen a giant troll smash River over the head with an overly-large club filled with iron spikes, only to have the weapon break on impact. What followed was a merciless beating from the diminutive king. Seeing River unleash his inner fury strengthened Marco's resolve to never, _never_ get on the king's bad side.

Buff Frog had also joined in the defence, although it clearly pained him to fight his own kin and be labelled a traitor for helping the mewmas. As tough as it was to give other monsters a good beating, he knew firsthand that some mewmans were willing to accept monsters like him into their society and allow them to live peacefully. With this knowledge in mind, Buff Frog was determined to stop the attack and rise in reputation among the mewmans, thus earning their trust and perhaps one day persuading them into allowing more monsters to migrate into Mewman territory. For now, however, he had to fight other monsters, many of which were once his friends.

To his credit, Marco was keeping up with the rest of the warriors, karate chopping monsters here and there, kicking them aside and dodging any incoming attacks. While his human strength was a handicap in man-to-monster combat, he was nimble and knew how to utilise his strength to overcome even the strongest of opponents. And the fight looked to be ver fairly soon, so fetigue was not a concern for the boy.

Just as he'd knocked unconscious an ogre and was about to take on his next opponent, a scream of terror tore Marco's focus away from the fighting and aimed it towards the fleeing mewmans. While Moon's efforts were valiant, even she could protect both herself and the fleeing crowd as the monster spellcasters kept firing arcane comets and exploding bolts at her. River and Sir Lotkame were oblivious to the happenings on the back line of the fight as their focus was aimed solely at the endless stream of monsters that was emerging from the surrounding woods. The guardsmen were also busy, meaning that he would have to come to her aid.

Marco dodged an incoming attack and punched the monster that had launched the attack in the gut, startling it, then dashed off towards the mewmans. He arrived just in time to stop a goblin from impaling a man with its sharp sword. Marco knocked the weapon out of the ugly creatures hand and kicked it hard enough to send it tumbling away from the mewmans by several feet.

"Are you ok?" Marco asked the mewman, who nodded hesitantly, still shaken up by the near-death experience. Marco has no time to rejoice, for more and more monsters kept sneaking past Queen Moon and were ready and willing to kill any and all who stood before them.

"Crap! There's too many of them!" Marco yelled. He could take on one or maybe two monsters at a time, but there were nearly a dozen monsters charging at him. His best option was to run, but that would leave the mewmans at the monsters' mercy, the word mercy being meant very loosely; they would be massacred, of that he had no doubt. Marco looked at the fear-paralysed mewmans and saw a fear in their eyes that only appeared when one was staring death straight in the face. Even Lady Maizewall, the snobbish, proud, arrogant and mean aristocrat looked as though she was about to pee her fancy pants. Marco almost felt bad for enjoying the thought for a moment.

Almost.

 _I've gotta protect everyone! But there're too many of those guys. I can't take them on alone._

 _... unless ..._

Marco thought long and hard about whether he should or should do what he was about to do. Unfortunately, he didn't have the luxury of choice in the matter, so he sighed and closed his eyes, trying to focus on the magical energy dwelling within him.

"What are you doing!? This is no time for interpretive dancing!" Lazy Maizewall yelled in panic when Marco began performing a series of odd moves while not moving an inch, his eyes closed shut.

Upon opening them, a purple, magical barrier encased him and the mewman nobles, serving as a protective shield. The attacking monsters swung at it with their weapons but were unable to even scratch it. Marco smiled proudly, eying his work. The mewmans stared at Marco in shock and awe; even Lady Maizewall was stunned by the fact that a human had used magic to protect them.

No, she was shocked by the fact that a mere human could use magic.

"This should keep us safe," spoke Marco, turning to the nobles with a confident smile crossing his lips. "I'm not sure how long it'll last, though, so be ready to make a break for it."

Just as he uttered the last word, Queen Moon swept down and somehow passed through the magical barrier and landed next to Marco. She turned back to her normal form and stared at Marco dumbfoundedly. She pointed a finger at him, and said, " _You_ cast this?"

Marco nodded proudly. "I did indeed."

Moon's blank expression turned into a bitter one. "I'm not sure who to be more angry at; you for not telling me you could use magic or myself for not thinking of casting a barrier spell myself."

Marco chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. "Um... both?" he answered.

Moon groaned irritably and slapper herself across the forehead. "Always a diplomat, aren't you?" she said dully, annoyed by the fact that Marco always responded in a way that both pleased and angered her. She sighed. "Well, I suppose we'll have a discussion about this later. Right now there's a horde of monsters outside that we have to take care of. Come." As she was about to turn into her powerful butterfly form, a horn thundered in the distance and the fighting immediately ceased. Even the monsters that were assaulting Marco's magical barrier had stopped their futile efforts and now stood in place calmly, their backs turned towards Moon and Marco.

"Uh, did we win?" Marco asked curiously, looking for a logical answer as to why the fighting had come to a full stop. He spotted the answer to his question was approaching him at a steady pace, both figuratively and literally. His eyes widened in shock and a single word slipped off his tongue. "Toffee!?"

The said lizard was dressed neatly as ever and was walking towards him and Moon, ignoring the stares of shock he was receiving from both his soldiers and the mewmans. He looked eerily calm and was in no hurry.

Upon recognising him, a look of worry appeared on Moon's face, one that Marco took notice of. It wasn't a particularly frightened look as one would expect, but it looked like some odd mixture of worry and reluctance. River and Sir Lotkame charged at Toffee but saw Queen Moon raise her hand dismissively at them, a sign that they should let Toffee be. They both stood down, although River looked very displeased with his wife's decision.

Toffee stopped a few feet short of the portal and peered at Queen Moon with the same bored, expressionless, blank look he normally bore. He spoke up after a time, his words sending the minds of all present spiralling uncontrollably. All were left stunned and disoriented.

"I submit." There was no sign of deception in Toffee's even voice. "Take me into custody but let my fellowmonsters go. That's my bargain."

The monsters looked at their leader as though he'd lost his mind. However, they did not question his decision and began rounding up their broken and shattered weapons as they retreated back into the forest, unhindered by the mewman guardsmen, who'd surrounded Toffee and were pinning him in place with their weapons. Toffee sighed and shot moon a resentful glare and chuckled bitterly.

"And you call us monsters uncivilised. How quaint."

"Lower your weapons," Moon ordered. The guardsmen exchanged looks of curiosity.

"But... my Queen-"

"Now! That's an order!"

Worried as they were, an order was an order. They lowered their weapons but remained at the ready to raise them if the need arose.

Marco wanted to ask the Moon what in the name of everything rational she was thinking by bargaining with Toffee, but the look on her face told him that she knew very well what she was doing and why, so he didn't protest.

"Are you serious, Toffee?"

Moon's intonation of the question was calm and... sad? Marco understood even less now, and Toffee's response to the question didn't help much.

"Not to worry, Moon. Unlike some people, I actually keep the promises I make." He sounded smug as ever. "I'll come peacefully. Just promise you'll allow my men to gather up the dead and wounded before they leave. Not that your promise holds much value if my memory serves me correctly."

"Very well," Moon responded briskly and with a wave of her hand, she nullified Marco's magical barrier and promptly made her way over to Toffee, casting a pair of magical shackles to bind his wrists.

"Take him to the dungeons," she ordered the guardsmen. They bowed faithfully and were soon off with the lizard. River, Sir Lotkame and Buff Frog, for whatever reason, then walked over to Moon and a conversation started between the four.

Marco wanted to join in (eavesdrop) but heard the ever-so distinguishable voice of an elderly mewoman.

"Marco Diaz," said Lady Maizewall, waking up to the boy with a resigned frown on her face.

Marco turned around to face her. He was expecting her to find something to complain about but was positively surprised when she finally spoke up.

"I and my fellows would like to express our deepest gratitude for keeping us safe," she said and the nobles all nodded their heads humbly and a bit shamefully. "In light of your courage," she continued, "and for saving the lives of many a mewman, we've decided to revoke our previous judgement and offer you our apologies. It was wrong of us to judge you so harshly, Marco Diaz. I hope you shall accept our apology." Lady Maizewall bowed along with the rest of the ensemble of nobles. "We were simply worried that the future prince would be some weakling. We were mistaken; you are anything but a weakling."

"It's cool," replied Marco nonchalantly and shrugged with his shoulders. "I still don't like you-"

"That is understandable."

"-but I don't hate you, either. Just don't ever do it again."

Lady Maizewall nodded shamefully and let out a weary sigh.

"Well, looks like I'm indebted to you, Marco Di- _Future Prince_ , Marco. Should you ever find yourself in need of a skilled diplomat or a skilled strategist or anything of the sort, hesitate not a moment. I know many of the kind and will arrange for only the finest one to serve under your word."

Lady Maizewall bowed respectfully and walked off without exchanging any further words. She and the nobles walked off, likely headed for the nearest carriage service to drive each of them to their respective home.

"Marco!"

The boy heard Moon's voice and saw the Queen approaching him. "Marco, I wish to have a word in private with you if you would be kind enough to spare a few moments of your time."

"Uh, sure."

Moon dragged him away from the group. Once they were out of earshot, she spoke, "Marco, unless my eyes deceived me, what you used earlier was magic. And quite proficiently, I must admit."

"Uh, thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment!" the Queen said sternly, crossing her arms and aiming a glare at him. "Who taught you this? Was it Star?"

"What? No! Star has nothing to do with this! She doesn't even know I can use magic!"

"Then where did you obtain the knowledge and, more importantly, the capabilities to use magic? Humans are not meant to possess such a power." Queen Moon spoke to Marco like a mother would when scolding her child for eating too many sweets. Marco couldn't help a bit flattered by the thought of being considered a family member, but he certainly didn't like being treated like a kid.

"To answer your first question, Comet's pet, talking wolf gave me some quick lessons and showed me how to cast a few spells. As for your second question, I'm just as clueless as you are. I honestly have no idea where I got these powers from!"

"Are you lying to me, Marco?" Moon asked, eying him suspiciously.

"No!" Marco responded in protest, feeling somewhat hurt that Moon had so little trust in him after all this time. He tried his best to not allow his anger to betray itself as he continued, "I have no idea! And besides, it's harmless magic; all I've been practising are protective spells to shield Star with. That's it." There was a pause. "Why are you so worried about it, anyway? I know magic users don't like it when others delve into the world of magic, but does it bother you that much?"

"N-no it's... never mind, I guess I was just worried for no reason in particular. Forget about it. More importantly-" Moon grabbed Marco by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes, then continued, "I need you to promise me that you will protect my daughter with your very life. I know that it's a lot to demand from you, seeing as you have done so much for our Kingdom already, but-"

"I wouldn't even think twice about it," Marco cut in, startling the Queen. "Star's my best friend." He chuckled. "Well, that's putting it mildly. I really do care about her, and you can be assured that I'd do anything, _anything_ to keep her safe."

"I know that, Marco." Moon smiled at him. "I was a bit sceptical when Star chose you as her future prince, but right now I couldn't think of anyone more suited for the role. Please stay loyal to my daughter, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Marco said and saluted.

Moon responded with a small smile of gratitude before sighing wearily.

"You're dismissed for today, Marco. Feel free to tell one of the guardsmen to accompany you back to Earth whenever you please. I've got some... urgent business I must attend." With that she was off, leaving Marco alone to his thoughts.

...until he remembered the one person that was nowhere to be seen. He whipped his head to and fro, searching for one huge troublemaker.

"Where's Janna? Wasn't she with those guys?" he wondered aloud.

 ** _Mewman dungeons, sometime later._**

"Toffee."

The lizard lifted his head up slightly, just enough for Moon to see the daggers in his eyes, their sharp ends aimed at her.

"You don't have the right to call me that! Not anymore..."

Moon frowned shamefully and was about to exit the chamber, sensing that she would not be able to hold a conversation with the lizard when Toffee decided to bury the bodkin of hatred further into her heart.

"How does it feel, hmm? How does it feel to be a deceiver and murderer?"

She whipped her head around and gave him a sidelong glance. "I'm not a murde-"

" **Liar!** " his voice boomed throughout the chamber. Moon stood frozen in place, her back turned to him. Two guardsmen came rushing around the corner of the corridor and asked the Queen if something had happened. Moon told them that she had everything under control and dismissed them. Once the men were gone, she turned around to face Toffee. The hatred and resentment in his eyes burned like the fires of a thousand suns.

Moon spoke up, her voice firm and composed.

"What happened back then is a thing of the past. I have been trying to make amends for my actions. I-"

"Have been spewing lies and running away like the coward you really are!" Toffee cut in, his voice low and hoarse, filled with hate and anger.

Moon had no response.

She knew he was right.

But not entirely.

"I've changed, Toffee. I am no longer the same person I was thirteen years ago."

Toffee merely laughed at her statement, and replied, "So you claim. But you're still every bit of a liar and a deceiver as you were back then!"

Toffee walked over to the steel bars of his prison cell to get as close to her as possible, but the distance between them remained significant, Moon even backing away a bit to ensure that she was out of his tail's reach.

Toffee chuckled grimly.

"Are you scared of me, Moon? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Should I, _a monster_ , be cowering before you? The self-proclaimed purifier of Mewni?"

"You know as well as I do that I had no choice!" Moon stomped towards Toffee's cell until the distance between them was that of his tail-length. "I have been doing everything in my power to right the wrongs and erase my past!"

Toffee smirked maleficently and pushed the tip of his long head in between the steel bars, then said, "Genocide will forever taint your name, Queen Moon."

His words stunned her into submission and she fell silent, staring at him, wide-eyed.

"Your past and your fate are both sealed. There is no fleeing from either of them."

Toffee's voice was calm, eerily so. The smirk that accompanied his words was sly and cocky. He knew he had the Mewman Queen in his grasp, knew that his words were eating her from the inside, devouring her iron resolve.

The lizard backed away from her and sat down on the edge of his makeshift bed on the other end of his prison cell.

He laid down and said nothing more.

Moon stood in place for a time until she slowly and silently turned around and made her way out of the dungeons.

 _Tick tock, my dear Moon. The sands in the hourglass are ever-flowing, and yours are about to run out,_ a voice spoke sinisterly.

"I know..." the Mewman Queen muttered as she closed the door to the dungeons, plunging everything into pitch black darkness.

 ** _Chapter Epilogue coming soon!_**

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **Well, that's it for this one! As you can see, I've taken a different - and, in my opinion, better than the show's - route with Toffee's character. Before you come to any rash conclusions, no, Toffee is NOT a good guy. However, neither is Moon. You'll find out what exactly transpired all those years ago in about 2 chapters, so be sure to follow, favourite and leave a comment to help me stay motivated! 'Till then! Bye!**


	43. Thanks for everything thus far !

**I haven't worked on the Epilogue or the next chapter yet, but I would just like to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who's supported and read my stories thus far.**

 **'My Star' and 'Staring it up!' have together accumulated nearly 130k reads thus far. I'm not gonna lie, that's actually a pretty scary number considering that I'm a complete amateur and never expected much when I began writing stories for this fandom.**

 **You guys really are the best and I am very sorry for not updating more frequently or even consistently. Life's busy and I oftentimes find myself very tired to even think straight, but I hope that you'll keep accompanying me on this journey until the end.**

 **So yeah, thank you all so much, especially the people who've been consistently leaving reviews and feedback, those always put a smile on my face and remind me why it's worth it to keep doing what I'm doing, even if I ultimately get nothing out of it. Heck, I couldn't care less about that, not with such awesome readers like you guys.**

 **Also a massive thank you to my beta reader- no, my good friend** ** _ElleFreak_** **. I know I may seem a bit pushy or even like an asshat at times, but she's stuck with me since day one and stayed in contact with me ever since. I'm extremely grateful to her, even if I don't openly express it; I'm just not good with that kinda stuff. If you happen to be reading this, I know I could have sent it via Skype but I figured that I may as well openly express my gratitude; you rock, girl!**

 **Also to the 20-ish people from my own country that follow my story,** ** _najlepša hvala ^^!_**

 **Well, I won't waste any more of your time with this, so see you in a few days (you'd better be here _*points gun at head*_ ).**

 **'Till then, bye!**


	44. Chapter 7 Epilogue

**A/N: Hey, guys! This is the final update until mid-February. I've been busy attending exam-prep courses and studying for the finals, so forgive me for the huge delay on this (short) epilogue. Enjoy!**

 **P.S. I'm never doing one of the parallel chapters again.**

 **Ever.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **allen Vth: All will be revealed in time. Let's just say that a lot awaits our two favourite dorks.**

 **Guest: I'm actually gonna make this a mindfuck without clear good or bad guys.**

 **Rock Raider: Correct. However, what is the story behind Moon's dark past? You'll find out fairly soon.**

 **SuicideGuy: Thanks. I'll continue once my exam period is over.**

 **Starco4Life: I've mentioned that my universe is expansive and complex. I do try my best to keep the pace of the story just right; not lacklustre but not overwhelming. Hoping that my novel will turn out even better!**

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Epilogue**

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Echo Creek Academy's _Awesome Opossums_!" the announcer beckoned the audience of the football stadium as the game was about to get underway. The football team, led by Justin, ran onto the field and were greeted by a wave of excited cheering and loud whistling. Some of the audience members even decided to throw their foodstuff into the air; hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn; the guy selling the snacks grinned widely at the thought of how much money he was going to make. The janitor, on the other hand, sighed exasperatedly, mentally preparing himself for yet another sleepless night of hard work.

"Man, I'm so glad we managed to get back in time before the game," Janna declared, an excited grin adorning her face. "I loves me some good ol' football. Right, Marco?"

Marco cast a sidelong glare at her, making a note of the luxurious outfit that she was wearing and studying the pieces of gold and other jewellery that were so avidly gracing her fingers and neck.

He turned towards her and asked sharply, "How the heck did you get back to Earth? And where did you get all that jewellery and expensive clothing?"

"Yes."

Janna's nonchalant and cryptic response irritated Marco, but seeing that there was nothing to be done about it, he quietly reached into the bag of popcorn on his lap and stuffed a handful of the white, salty stuff into his mouth, all while frowning bitterly.

"May I have some?" Zora asked. While popcorn was nothing new to her, considering it stood unrivalled at the top of the Mewman snack chart, watching someone else indulge themselves on the white, crunchy goodness always made her peckish.

Marco's frown turned into a warm smile as he nodded and offered Zora the bag of popcorn.

"Thank you."

Zora's polite attitude was always a welcoming sight to Marco. Unlike a certain rebel princess, she had manners. With spring break around the corner, he would finally get the opportunity to get to know the little girl a bit better, and, hopefully, get her to remember if she saw anything peculiar when her old town was attacked by monsters and reduces to charcoal and ashes. He still owed Moon that bit of information, but he suspected that Zora wouldn't be able to tell them more than she already had.

Zora's stomach grumbled, at which a blush crept onto her face. Delicious as popcorn was, it wasn't very filling.

"You want something to eat?" he asked her with a genuine smile.

Zora nodded in response and Marco called the vendor. Soon enough, Zora was happily munching away a hotdog. Seeing how content she was with food in her hands forced a suppressed chuckle from Marco, which Zora pain no mind towards as she was focused on eating the delicious earth snack.

"And you didn't buy me one?" Janna scoffed at Marco, albeit he could tell that she was toying around with him. "You really are inconsiderate."

"You're wearing a solid-gold necklace and a ring probably worth around two grand. Buy your own darn food."

"Wow, jerk."

The two glared at each other in a serious manner, then burst out laughing.

"You want a hot dog?" Marco asked Janna once their little routine was over. She shook her head.

"Nah, it's cool, dude."

"You sure?"

"Yep," she assured him. "Besides, the cheerleaders are about to come on and I don't wanna miss it."

Marco chuckled.

"I never thought you of all people would be excited to see a group of cheerleaders, most of whom you know, by the way."

"Oh, I'm not excited about the cheerleaders," Janna said, eying him suggestively

"Why are you grinning like that?" Marco asked, suspicious of his friend's behaviour. Janna's smirk grew wider.

"Nothing. I just came across a very _interesting_ piece of information about the cheerleading squad."

Marco arched his eyebrow in confusion.

"Um, what information."

Janna smirked slyly. "You'll see."

As Marco was about to pursue the matter further, the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer said. "Please give a round of applause for Echo Creek Academy's very own cheerleaders and their newest member!"

As the crowd burst into a new wave of applaud and the girls rushed onto the stadium, Marco widened his eyes as the world around him went mute.

 **"S-Star!?"** he practically screeched, his voice so loud that it pierced through the audience's hollering and reach the ears of the Mewman princess. She waved at him with her pom-pom and smiled widely, then joined the rest of the girls as they performed various acrobatics and hyped the crowd.

Marco's mouth went agape when his gaze locked itself onto the blonde cheerleader, her hair tied in a ponytail and her cheerleader uniform accentuating some very 'interesting' features on her body that he hadn't really paid much mind to before, and her every move only helped highlight the curves that were _just_ beginning to shape themselves around her hip and chest area. Marco was so entranced by his girlfriend's every move that he didn't even register Janna's sullen shout.

"Close your mouth, dude! You're drooling all over the popcorn!" Janna scolded him as she snatched away the bag. Marco didn't even register what had just occurred, his eyes were far too busy feasting on another sight to pay attention the bag of popcorn, or anything else for that matter.

Zora stared at the boy in confusion, then turned towards Janna.

"Uh, what's wrong with him? He isn't under some sort of spell, is he?"

Janna chuckled at the little girl' s remark, nearly choking on a kernel, then offered her some more popcorn, which Zora gladly accepted. Janna then looked at Marco, then at Star, then at Zora, and replied, smirking, "Under a spell? Hmm, that's one way of putting it..."

Zora had lots of questions, but she silenced them with more delicious popcorn.

 _People on Earth are weird._

Yes, that explanation would have to suffice.

 ** _End of Chapter 7!_**

* * *

 **Chapter End Notes: In my defence, it was about time Marco hit puberty :P (Just to make it clear, there will be no smut).**

 **See ya after my exam period!**


	45. Start reading the author's notes xDD

**So the story has gotten a few comments (which I've removed) and I've received a handful of PM's asking me whether I was still working on this fic.**

 **Guys, please, I know that very few people actually bother to read the author's notes I make, but I'm currently on my exam period and wish to NOT distract myself with other stuff. I had 5 exams last week (including one on Saturday, February 3rd aka my birthday - I'm 21 now -) and I've still got 4 to go, all one after another from the 14th to the 17th. I intend to pass them all (or at the very least 7-8 out of the 9) so if there will be an update, it will be sometime towards the end of the month, although I will try my best to push out 2 consecutive chapters to make up for it.**

 **I'm not mad or upset or anything, I actually find it awesome that some people actually care so much about the story, but priorities are priorities. I just wanted to give you this quick update.**

 **So see you guys then, and wish me luck!**


	46. Chapter 7,5: Urges

**A/N: Well, I'm officially back! My exams are over and I should have a bit more breathing space this semester since I've rid myself of the subjects that required most of my attention, although I will still have 8 new subjects this semester, but they should be much easier and hopefully less time-consuming^^'! But I think that I'll be able to update regularly again. That being said, I've decided to change a few things:**

 **A.) The story will advance faster**

 **B.) I think the 'My Star' format was much better than this one.**

 **Also, here are the titles of the remaining chapters. I'm leaving the speculating to you.**

 **Chapter 8: Secrets Exposed**

 **Chapter 9: Family**

 **Chapter 9.5: Prophecies**

 **Chapter 10: A Thirst for Vengence**

 **Chapter 11: A Sin Fit for a Queen**

 **Chapter 12: Moon**

 **Epilogue: Final Chapter (Thus Ends...)**

 **New Dawn (Fallen Kingdom): Teaser**

 _ **Replies to the latest reviews:**_

 **Rock Raider: Hmm, you're not entirely off on what I had in mind. As for the rest, I've released the titles of the remaining chapters, so feel free to guess what they'll be about!**

 **allen Vth: Oh, our boy is gonna go beyond taking a simple picture ;). Meh, those guys are probably spoiled enough not to notice.**

 **Guest: lol, and people write about stuff like that? Wtf? Do they make a 10-page essay on how he stares at her butt or...?**

 **Also, a thank you to all the people who were cheering for me during my exams! Bless you all ^^!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 7.5**

 **Urges**

 ** _Marco_**

He was frustrated.

Frustrated and furious at himself for the way he'd behaved over the last couple of weeks. Ever since the accursed night of that stupid football game upon his return from Mewni, his thoughts and emotions were like a box of lit firecrackers, blowing up willy-nilly and flying in all directions at the worst moments.

Marco flopped backwards onto the bed and smacked himself on the forehead, hard.

 _What am I doing!? I shouldn't even be in here! Not after earlier!_

He was in Star's room, which was empty as the princess was busy helping Angie bathe Zora, who'd fallen into a pool of fresh mud while the three were playing catch in the park. Small as she was, Zora was nimbler and faster than both him and Star. If it weren't for the stumble, they'd likely be chasing her even now!

Marco sat up, determined to leave the room and stop these foolish actions.

... except he couldn't. Not that he physically couldn't since walking over to the door and going back to his room would take no effort, but something inside of him was preventing his body from exiting the princess's chambers. It felt as though his feet were being chained to the room and wouldn't allow him to exit until he finally talked to his girlfriend about his troublesome thoughts.

One part of his mind kept screaming "She'll think you're some creep if you do that! No, Marco! You gotta keep restraining yourself!" while the other half was yelling "She'll understand, you moron! She's strong enough to handle something as stupid as this! Just tell her already!"

He didn't know which side was right. Both were, in a sense, speaking reason, not that that piece of useless knowledge was helping him in the slightest!

In the end, he decided to linger around for a bit longer until the princess returned, hopefully without the small girl by her side. The conversation would be awkward enough without a third pair of ears listening in on it.

 _Should I really confess it to her?_

The thing that was bothering him was trivial, but trivial in the worst ways possible.

Ever since he saw her at the football game, wearing that cute but blasted cheerleader uniform, it felt as though his hormones had gone into hyperdrive and there were no breaks to stop them, nor was he able to take his foot off the gas peddle.

He would often find himself lost while staring at... _certain parts and features_ of her body, unable to pry his eyes away. Whenever she would turn around and see him staring at her with such a lewd look in his eyes, he would stammer awkwardly and point towards a stain on her dress or lie about her having something in her hair, which he would promptly 'remove' for her, and she would thank him awkwardly before backing away, clearly uncomfortable.

If the problem were his inability to stop staring at her, then it wouldn't really be a problem. He'd caught her staring at his tush numerous times and wasn't really bothered by it, plus he had a feeling that coming clean about it would only result in Star teasing him, and he was a teenager on top of that, so such things were natural as far as he was concerned.

However, the problems arose whenever his new urges would take a complete hold of him. His Sensei had told him numerous times that one must be the master of both their mind and their body, and he was no longer the master of either. At least, not when he was in close proximity of a certain Star.

His normally organised thoughts would turn into an unorganised cluster of naughty fantasies about the said princess, and he literally had to slap one of his hands with the other to prevent it from reaching out too far and 'acquiring' that which his mind was yearning for.

He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hold out. Restraining his appetite for his princess was becoming harder with each passing day, and sometimes when he smelt her luscious scent or so much as looked at her cute face or the tantalising curves around her hips and chest, he could feel his iron resolve being battered and smashed, growing weaker with each glance at his beloved princess. It was only a matter of time until those darn emotions of his reduced that iron resolve to dust and took things the point of no return, he felt.

The only thing holding him back at this point were her reactions. Every time he'd move closer to her, she would jump away from him, distance herself as if sensing his impure intentions and thoughts. She definitely felt uncomfortable when he got too close, and he couldn't blame her. He was repugnant at times.

So he tried to hold back, for her.

He would no longer allow himself to drift too close to her. Instead, he would try and keep a distance between them, for both his and her own good. He no longer held her hand or allowed her to hug him, for he could no longer trust himself and in a moment of recklessness, he would drive her away. For good, he feared.

And this distancing was driving him mad. Instead of slowly wiping out those vile thoughts and desires of his, as he'd hoped, it only augmented them.

He knew he wouldn't be able to keep this game up for much longer. Therefore he vowed to come clean and at least warn her of the primal monster he'd become. Come what may, she deserved a fair warning.

He loved her, and he would come to terms with whatever happens after today's conversation.

For her.

His Star.

 _ **Star**_

She was scared.

Scared of herself and of the thoughts that kept crossing her mind, thoughts that were chasing away her significant other, apparently. She could feel her emotions and desires changing, and it was frightening. She was scared that she would drive him away.

"Star, I'll take it from here," Angie said as she heaved Zora out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her, then began drying her off. The small girl looked a bit annoyed by the fact that she wasn't allowed to bathe by herself like some toddler, but she also felt an odd warmth at the thought of being cared for, and she also found it amusing that she was the one being bathed by others instead of the other way around, as she was accustomed to, a courtesy of her awful former master.

Star giggled at Zora's cute, sulking expression and smiled at Angie.

"Are you sure, Angie?" It felt odd calling the woman by her first name, but both she and Rafael had recently requested for her to start doing so. She couldn't fully understand the reasoning, but if it made them happy, then she really had no issues with it.

"I'm sure, dear," Angie responded while ruffling Zora's hair with the towel. "You just go relax. I'll have her all dried and dressed in no time."

Star nodded and left the bathroom. As soon as the door behind her was closed, her smile dropped and she let out a tired sigh as she lent on the door with her back.

"Why did things have to become so complicated?" she mumbled wistfully and began walking to her room.

It was her fault, honestly. Her behaviour had undergone quite a few changes recently, changes that Marco just wasn't comfortable with or ready for.

She would often cling to him at random and make suggestive advances, and the way he reacted to her advances pained her. Every time she would try to move closer to him, she could notice the fear and revolt in his eyes as he stared at her and made some distance between them or simply came up with excuses just to avoid touching her.

Was she really that disgusting?

No, that wasn't it.

She'd caught him 'staring' at her several times, sometimes with clear indecency, so he was definitely attracted to her, although she did find it cute how he always changed the topic to hide his motives like she didn't know what he was really up to. Either way, he needed some space, and as much as it tore at her, she needed to give him the space he wanted.

So every time they drifted too close to each other, she would recoil. Just move away and smile at him, letting him know that she understood and respected his feelings.

 _Just give him the space he needs,_ she kept convincing herself.

But gosh, was it hard.

Never before had she felt such a need to touch someone, to kiss them or to place her head on their shoulder or do something as simple as holding hands! Marco really did bring out the best and the worst in her, and he was the only person on both earth and Mewni that was allowed to see those sides of her.

Unfortunately, one such side seemed to be having the opposite effect on him and was doing more harm than good.

She sighed.

How much longer could she keep avoiding him? Heck, when was the last time they'd held hands or hugged or kissed? The distance was one thing, but he'd been comfortable with those things up until recently, so what was wrong? What had changed?

Maybe that was the problem. Maybe she was just too much for him to handle, too pushy and way too needy. Love was like chocolate chip cookies; sure, everyone loves them, but if you eat a bag of them every day you're sure to grow tired of them.

Grow tired.

Maybe, just maybe.

"Does he... does he no longer love me?" she wondered, feeling a sudden tightness in her chest. Being attracted to her was one thing, but there were far more attractive girls than her on Earth. Maybe another had caught his eye? Maybe that's why he no longer wanted to be as close to her as before? Maybe he was distancing himself purposefully so that when he did call it quits, it wouldn't hurt as badly as it would otherwise?

She stopped in the middle of the hallway and hugged herself, smiling sadly.

 _What did I do wrong, Marco? Why are you avoiding me?_

All she could do was continue to distance herself from him and hope for the best.

She felt alone.

It sucked.

 _ **Together**_

"Hey, Star."

All she could do was stare at him, sitting on her bed and looking at her with a faint smile on his lips.

"Uh, Marco, why are you in my room?" Out of all the things she could have said, it just _had_ to be that, didn't it? Fortunately for the Mewman princess, Marco found the question completely valid and responded casually.

"Well, I came to talk to you, actually."

She froze, eyes wide and her expression stone cold.

 _Oh no, don't tell me that he already-_

"T-talk about what, Marco?" she stammered, feeling every vein in her body start to tense and freeze up.

 _Don't say us, don't say us, don't say-_

"Uh, well... _us_."

And just like that, her world fell apart. She knew what was coming, and she'd be lying if she said she was ready for it, but she was a strong, independent warrior-princess, and she was going to take this like one.

"...oh," was all she could muster up in response before the room fell silent as they stared at each other with unblinking gazes.

Marco sighed and patted the spot next to him and Star promptly walked over and sat down.

After a brief silence, Marco spoke, "Look, Star, this is really tough for me to say, but-"

"You don't need to tell me, Marco. I already know."

Marco was surprised by her statement and looked at her in bewilderment.

"Y-you do?"

Star nodded calmly.

"Yeah. You've made it _pretty_ obvious. I can't say that I'm happy with it, though."

Upon hearing that, Marco frowned sadly and looked away.

"Yeah, I kinda figured you wouldn't be too thrilled about it. Sorry..." Marco said dejectedly and sighed.

 _So this is it, huh?_ was all she could think of. _Good job, Star! You've somehow managed to Star things up again, as usual!_

"It's just... I... I had to let you know the truth about why it's so hard for me to hold myself back around you."

"No problem, Marco. I fully understand that you want to take a break and-" Star's eyes widened and she shot him a startled glance once her brain had registered his words. "Wait, what?"

"It's just... ever since I saw you wearing that stupid uniform I- it's like I can't hold get a complete hold of myself whenever I'm around you!" Marco declared, blushing violently and covering his face with the palms of his hands. "I mean, you're you and you're always looking so cute! How can I _not_ wanna... uhm... 'touch' you..."

"I repeat. What?"

"What do you mean _what_!?" Marco was frustrated that she was toying around at a time like this. He'd just poured his heart and soul out to her and she was acting like this was some game. He didn't appreciate that one bit.

 _But if she wants to play, then game on!_

"Star, I notice how uncomfortable you get when I approach you and how you back off immediately when I'm too close! I'm not an idiot!"

Upon hearing that, something inside her brain clicked. Was he messing with her?

 _Does he think this is a joke!?_

She edged her head closer to his and glared at him viciously. He mimicked the gesture, and their gazes remained locked thus as the argument continued.

"Avoiding you!? You're the one who's been avoiding me, buddy!" she accused, arms crossed.

"What!? That's not true at all!" he protested, but she wouldn't have any of it.

"Oh, don't give me that!" she demanded. "I see how scared and uncomfortable you are when I try to hold your hand on even walk right next to you! Why else do you think I've been trying my hardest to give you some personal space, despite the fact that it's been driving me bonkers, thank you very much!"

"Driving you bonkers!?" he laughed at her absurd claim. "Forcefully controlling myself around you has been driving me bonkers!" He countered, inching closer to her. "And _you_ were the one feeling uncomfortable! Whenever I tried getting close to you, you'd just start avoiding me!"

"I was just giving you some space like you wanted!" she declared.

"Well, I was giving you some space like you wanted!" he countered.

Without thinking, Star lunged at him, locking her lips with his own into a passionate kiss, taking him off guard and shutting him up. She soon pulled away and glared daggers at him.

"You have got to be kidding me! You freaking idiot!" She exclaimed before claiming his lips again, taking advantage of the opening in his lips to invite herself in, deepening the kiss.

 _If you don't go along with it now, I will end you!_ her mind screamed, half-jokingly.

And Marco heard the threat, at least that's what she assumed when he no longer resisted but instead flipped her onto her back, pinning her down with the weight of his body while their lips continued to fight relentlessly, not so much as allowing them to catch a full breath of air. Eventually, the need for air overcame them and they both parted, panting, a thin trail of saliva connecting their lips. They stared at each other for a time until Star broke the silence.

"Thanks. I needed that," Star murmured somewhat irritably in between pants.

"You're welcome, princess," Marco replied, also with a bitter edge to his voice.

In spite of their best attempts to let their anger show, however, the two soon quit the acting and smiled fondly at one another, their faces tinded in a hue of cherry. Marco lifted his hand and brushed away a loose lock of Star's golden hair that was obscuring part of her face. He was about to caress her cheek but hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Star asked, a sad but curious frown on her face.

 _Why did he stop?_

"Y-you really don't mind if I, um, touch you like this?" he asked, completely serious.

Star's eyes widened as the nature of their dilemma finally became clear to her.

"Wait," she said. "You thought I didn't like you touching me? Is that was this is about?"

Marco nodded, looking both ashamed and embarrassed.

"Oh, Marco, you silly boy," Star giggled and ruffled his hair with her hand. "I love it when you hold hands with me and touch me for no specific reason. We're a couple, ya dorky goof!"

"I just thought you didn't feel comfortable with me staring at you and clinging to you all the time," he stated, fixing his hair.

"Heh, dork..."

Marco shot her a dissatisfied glare. "Excuse me, but from what I've just heard, didn't you think the exact same thing?"

"...perhaps."

There was a pause as neither knew what to say next until Star remembered something she wanted to be sure of.

"So, you really don't think I'm, ehm, disgusting or anything like that? And you really haven't, ya know, found someone else...?"

"Did I really make you feel that way?" Marco frowned, feeling like a complete idiot. Star nodded and he sighed. "Well, I'm sorry if it seemed like that. But, to be fair, you did start avoiding me as well, so-"

"Mess-up twins?" Star chuckled, and Marco was unable to suppress his own chuckle.

"Yeah, mess-up twins," he agreed.

As they kept gazing at one another, lost in each other's eyes, Marco noticed the position they were in and chuckled awkwardly.

"Um, I think I should probably get off you, hehe."

"Well, I don't mind being like this," Star said teasingly, a sly grin on her burning face.

"Yeah, well, I still don't trust myself enough to say how much longer I can hold back before I uh, _do stuff_ that wouldn't be appropriate, so I'll just leave and-"

Before he could escape, Star reached up with her hands and cupped his face, forcing his gaze to stay locked with her own and practically paralysing him with her stare. "I.. wouldn't mind if you... ya know... _wouldn't_ hold back... right now..."

Marco swallowed nervously.

"I... don't think I _can_ anymore..." He wasn't exaggerating. The barriers were gone, smashed, reduced to rubble by that handful of words. He was no longer in control of himself. It was scary, but also exciting. For Star, it was a similar story. She, too, felt nervous, but she was in anticipation for... for...

 _For what?_ she wondered, tracing one of her hands along his hoodie as her fingers looked for the zipper.

"Star..." he called out her name, softly, tenderly, only love in his voice. Love for her. His princess. His very own little star.

"Marco..." she responded with equal tenderness, his name a breathless whisper as she kept gazing into his beautiful brown spheres, slowly losing herself in them as their faces drew closer and closer together. She could feel his hand slowly sliding down along her dress, approaching her special place, sending shivers through her whole body as his fingers trailed along her soft, smooth, pale skin.

"Uh...What _are_ you two doing...?"

 _ ***record scratch***_

Their eyes shot open instantly and both turned towards the source of the tiny voice. They saw Zora standing some feet away from the bed and gazing at them with an arched eyebrow and confusion written on her face. Star and Marco exchanged an alarmed look, blushing furiously, then shouted in perfect unison while looking at Zora.

" **Wrestling!** "

Zora raised an eyebrow sceptically and was about to ask them what they'd really been up to before she arrived, but instead, she shrugged it off.

 _This dimension is weird,_ she thought, then spoke.

"Uh, ok. Anyway, Mrs. Diaz told me to inform you two that you should come down for dinner. But if you're busy then I will tell her that-"

" **We're not busy with anything!** " both teens screamed frantically, once more in perfect sync.

Zora sighed dully.

A weird dimension, indeed.

"Whatever..." she murmured and exited the room, leaving the two to their own business.

As Marco climbed off Star and their gazes locked, only one thought crossed their minds.

"We must never speak of this again."

"Agreed." Star nodded and the two went down to dinner.

* * *

 **BONUS!**

As she was eating her slice of Mexican pizza, Star looked at Marco and noted the look of concern on his face. She patted him on the shoulder and gave him a comforting smile as he glanced at her.

"If you're worried about before, don't be. We both got a little carried away."

"Still," Marco couldn't help but wonder. "I'm normally very safe and responsible. I'd never do those kinds of things, even in those circumstances. What do you think happened back there?"

"I dunno." Star shrugged and placed a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe some higher force controlling our every action and thought is so desperate for recognition and attention that it's making us do stuff to cater to some specific audience?"

"Please!" Marco chuckled. "What kind of a sad, lonely, pathetic loser would spend his time reading about two fictional characters 'doing it' just to entertain himself?"

 **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)** **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

 _ **FIN**_

* * *

 **Afterword:**

 **Phew, that was a close one! Luckily, Zora came in at the right moment, right, guys :P? So thank you, Zora, for assisting me in keeping that T rating! Isn't she wonderful? She is, isn't she?**

 **And yes, that last bit was a stab at those authors who write M rated stuff involving underage characters because it equals popularity. I have no need to prove myself in such uncreative ways. And yes, it takes little to no talent or effort to write crap like this. I just don't because I have morals.**

 **Expected update: Next week!**


	47. Chapter 8: Secrets Exposed

**A/N: I tried to get this done ASAP, but I've recently entered (by the demand of my literary teacher) into some competition and have to have an original short story finished within the next 2 weeks, which is, obviously, much harder to write than this fic since I actually have to be mindful of what I write. On top of that, I've been sick, so yeah...**

 **Expect the next one in about 2-3 weeks. I'll start writing it once I'm done with that other thing.**

 **P.S. I've also come across a fun style of writing that involves leaving comments in brackets every now and then, so I'm gonna toy around with it a bit and see whether it's any good or not. If it turns out annoying for you guys to read, just say so and I'll stop ^^.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Sugar: I mean I have read a few lemons, but not with damn kids... That's just messed up.**

 **Dex Cipher: Man, f*** those perverts that write about teenagers 'doing it!'**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Secrets Exposed**

 _ **The Underworld**_

Tom was lying on his bed and casually listing through his Demon's Weekly magazine when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said, tossing the magazine aside and smiling upon seeing Trisha, his trusty librarian, enter through the door. She looked unusually energetic and cheerful as she was carrying an enormous book. Tom could tell at a glance that it was a spellbook. He stood up and walked over to her, but never got the chance to greet her.

"Tom, I've found it!" Trisha chirped.

"That's great! Um, found what, exactly?"

"I've found the spell that made you forget the people you were dealing with back then. They must've cast an amnesia spell on you."

"Amnesia spell? You sure?"

"It's definitely an amnesia spell. With this other spell I've found, we should be able to nullify it and fully restore your memories." Trisha threw the enormous book at Tom and the weight plus the impact of the manuscript knocked him flat onto his back.

"C-cant... breathe..." Tom gasped desperately, his lungs being crushed under the weight of the book.

"Whoops..." Trisha dashed over to him and picked the book up with seemingly no effort whatsoever. Tom stood up promptly and glared at her whilst rubbing his aching back with one hand and using the other to support himself on Trisha's shoulder.

"Just how strong are you!?" Tom demanded. For some harpy librarian to so easily lift a book that had nearly crushed him to death mere moments ago was absurd; he was a demon prince, for crying out loud!

"Oh, I'm not really strong," Trisha replied along with a shrug. "But you can't leave a good book just lying on the ground, can you?"

Tom straightened his back (which cracked audibly) and winced in pain for a moment, then relaxed and let out a long sigh.

"That's better," he murmured and looked at Trisha, who seemed to be waiting for him to speak up. "Show me the spell," he commanded the librarian and she nodded and promptly opened the book on the said page - how she was able to hold it open without even a hint of strain on her face was beyond him. Tom analysed the text and nodded after a time, evidently satisfied.

"Can you cast it?" Trisha inquired, closing the book and then using a silent levitation spell to send it off to the library to its rightful spot on the shelves. Tom mentally slapped himself, embarrassed that he hadn't thought of using a levitation spell himself.

"Yeah, I should be able to." Tom mused something over, and added, "The only downside is that it'll put me to sleep for the duration of the spell to prevent any memory harm from happening. So I'm gonna need you to watch over me and make sure nobody wakes me up." He noticed that a violent blush had formed on Trisha's cheeks. He could see it even though her beautiful red feathers. "Uh, are you feeling alright?" He wondered if she'd come down with the flu.

Trisha shook her head and calmed herself, and her cheeks turned back to their usual shade of her. The truth was that she was nervous about watching over her master while he slept, although a feeling of excitement was very clearly present as well, not that she would ever admit that aloud.

Tom arched an eyebrow at the silent harpy, but ultimately he shrugged it off, deciding that it was nothing to worry about since she now looked totally fine.

Tom laid flatly on his bed and looked at Trisha.

"If you don't wanna stand here for four or five hours, grab a chair or something and sit down. And make sure you aren't too loud; I'm not a heavy sleeper."

"No worries. I don't make a lot of noise."

Tom cast a satisfied smile at, then closed his eyes and with a snap of his fingers he was put to sleep.

Trisha leant close to his face to get a better look at his demonic features.

"He does look handsome when he's asleep..." she muttered and twirled her index fingers, then, realising what she'd said, Trisha smacked herself on the forehead and nearly jagged her own eyes out with her sharp talons.

This was definitely not the time for those kinds of thoughts.

"Then again..." she muttered as a tiny, naughty smirk appeared on her lips. "He will need a queen someday..."

Lingering on the thought, Trisha snapped her talons and a book from the library came floating towards her, appropriately titled 'How to Capture a Demon's Heart.'

Trisha opened it, deciding that it was time to do some research of her own, all while listening to the soothing sound of Tom's even breaths.

 _ **Earth**_

Jackie sat on her bed, enveloped in darkness, the curtains of her windows drawn closed so that only a few measly particles of light shone through. She bore a troubled look, lost in heavy thoughts as she stared at her feet.

The time had come.

She still couldn't believe it.

 _Those are your orders, my daughter. I expect nothing less than their fulfilment._

Those fateful words were stuck in her mind.

It had been about an hour since she'd returned to Earth from the dimension her mother dwelt in, and her thoughts were still scattered all about.

She'd long known that it was high time to commence the vile plan and earn her rightful vengeance upon those who'd wronged her, but thinking about it now, she wasn't quite ready.

She sighed deeply and clenched her fists, a bitter frown forming on her face.

"Remember, Jackie, this is justice for what happened," she muttered to herself in a self-assured voice. "After all, they took everything from you. If it wasn't for her-"

The ringing of the doorbell startled her, snapping her out of her transfixed state of mind. She stood up and promptly made her way downstairs to answer the door. Upon opening it, she was greeted with a familiar smile.

"Hi, Jackie." Marco raised his hand to greet her.

"Oh, hey dude, what's up?" she asked, genuinely happy to see the boy.

"A lot, actually..." Marco thought it was best not to bother Jackie with any of the stuff he and Star had gone through since he'd last met up with her. He would catch up on things some other time, for now, he had other things to discuss.

"But that's for later. Anyway, Star and I talked about a few things and we decided that it was high time we pay you back."

"Pay me back?" Jackie inquired in a curious tone. "Pay me back for that?"

Marco chuckled.

"Ah, still playing the humble dame, are we?" He said in an overly-flirtatious manner, which Jackie took notice of and glared at him.

"Um, _what_ did you just call me?" Jackie demanded with her arms on her hips and a menacing glare aimed at the Latino.

Marco swallowed and let out a nervous chuckle as he raised his arms defensively.

"Kidding, kidding!"

"Mm-hmm. Sure you are."

"Anyhow, Star and I owe you big time for helping us figure things out back then, so she wanted me to go over to your house and ask you if you wanted to join me, her and Pony Head for some fun at the Bounce Lounge?"

"Bounce Lounge? I've never heard of that club before. It is new or something?"

"It's in another dimension, actually."

"Well, it's cool that you guys want me to hang out with you 'n all, but there's really no need to 'pay me back' since I didn't really do anything."

"Well even if you didn't do anything, Star and I still want you to join us for some fun today," Marco insisted, smiling modestly.

"I dunno about that, Marco." Jackie smirked evilly. "Wouldn't I just be the third wheel while the two of you make kissy faces?"

"No," replied Marco bluntly, clearly irritated. "We're not going on a date. We are going there to have lots of fun and dance our butts off! Not everyone can get in on a whim, you know, so you'd better come unless you wanna miss out on the fun!"

Jackie considered Marco's proposal, then finally nodded after a time.

"I guess it sounds like fun..." she muttered, considering his proposal. "How much is the entry fee?"

"No no no." Marco shook his head defiantly. "Star and I will cover everything. Even if you don't feel like we owe you anything, we insist on it. No buts."

Jackie sighed, yet couldn't help but smile as she shook her head.

"I swear, the two of you are impossible." She gave a defeated sigh. "Alright. Count me in!"

"Sweet! Meetup's at my place in twenty."

"Alright, I'll be there," she said and gave him a thumbs up.

Jackie waved the boy goodbye as he walked away from her front porch and headed home. Her cheerful smile immediately dropped and was replaced by a grim frown. She felt like a dirtbag for what she was about to do, but it needed to be done. She'd come too far to turn back.

"Sorry, guys..." she murmured as she reached into her pocket and took out her phone, then dialled a number and held it next to her ear.

 _"Hello. You have reached Child Services. This is Bertha speaking. How may I assist you?"_ a woman answered.

"Yeah, hi. This is Jackie Lynn Thomas. I have a case to report..."

 _ **Meanwhile**_

"I'm back!" said Marco upon entering through the front door. The sight that greeted him warned his heart. Star and Zora were in the living room, sitting on the carpet. Zora was seated on Star's lap, eagerly gazing at the book Star was holding in front of her.

Star had quite an apt for storytelling, as Marco had found out, and had gone through two whole books of Mewman fairy tales with Zora over just as many days. By the looks of it, the third one was drawing to a close as both were engrossed in the story, each in their own way.

"And then, the _Big Bad Monster_ said: "Well, if I can't eat your corn, then I'll just eat _you!_ _Rawr!_ " Star made scratching motions with her hands to imitate the monster. Zora was completely transfixed and gazed at the illustrations in amazement, her mouth agape.

Would the monster eat the children!?

Would someone stop the monster!?

Marco chuckled. Yeah, those were probably her thoughts.

"But before the monster could chomp off the little children's heads," Star continued with a chirpier voice, "the brave knight came bursting through the door and he slashed the vicious monster in half! And the little Mewmans happily ate their corn! The End!"

"Wow! That was awesome, Star!" Zora clapped her hands cheerfully. A thought crossed her mind. "Say; how come every story you've told me involves killing a monster?"

"Let's just say that the old Mewman storytellers weren't too fond of monsters..."

"Makes sense." Zora nodded. "Can you read me another story?"

"Another one?" Zora responded with an eager nod. "Hmm... We're done with this book. Maybe I have another one upstairs..."

"I could tell you one of Earth's classics!" Marco stated, entering the room.

"Marco, nobody wants to hear your boring Earth stories!" Star complained.

"Hey! They are not boring!" he protested, but Star was quick to correct him.

"Uh, they are! I've not heard one that involves a monster getting chopped in half! So they're boring!"

"Why does your definition of a good story involve a monster getting killed? I thought you liked monsters?"

"I do. But it can't be a children's story without a big bad monster meeting its demise! Duh!" Star exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Marco sighed. Star was definitely a stubborn one, so reasoning her was impossible.

"Anyway, it's not like we have the time for another story. Jackie will be here in about fifteen minutes."

Star perked up upon hearing this.

"So she'll come with us to the Bounce Lounge?"

"Yep."

"Awesome! I've been wanting to return the favour for a long time."

"Uh, what's the Bounce Lounge?"

The two teens looked at Zora, who whipped her head from one to the other, having become lost in the conversation.

"Oh, right, we forgot to tell you," Star said with an apologetic voice as she motioned Zora to get off her to allow her to stand up. Zora obeyed the princess and both were soon upright. "Marco and I are taking a friend of ours to this place that's in another dimension," she explained.

"We kind of owe her," Marco added, chuckling awkwardly.

Zora looked towards Star and asked, "Can I come?"

"Sorry, sweetie, but you're too young to get in." Star's apologetic voice suggested that she didn't want to leave Zora behind, but she and Marco had forgotten about it when they planned the whole thing.

Zora looked crestfallen but nodded.

"Oh, ok."

"Hey, no need to make such a long face!" Star said cheerfully. "Angie and Rafael said they'd have lots of fun with, so you won't even notice we're gone!"

Zora smiled upon hearing that both of Marco's parents would be watching over her. The two adults always treated her kindly and made her laugh with their antics. On top of that, they allowed her things that, for whatever reason, Star strictly forbade her, to which Marco would shake his head in protest, which often resulted in the two quarrelling over it. Marco simply couldn't understand how Star, the reckless princess from another dimension who has no problem charging head first into all sorts of trouble, would be so strict and protective of Zora. He remembered this one instance at the playground where Star used magic on the swing to prevent it from swinging too high, arguing that Zora may fall off and hurt herself, which had earned a glare from Marco, who called the princess out for her foolishness.

Zora didn't seem to mind the restrictions that the Mewman princess kept putting her under. After all, Star did spend an abundance of time with the girl, telling her stories and doing otherwise goofy and fun things.

Marco mostly tended to her education, since she'd taken an interest in the Alphabet and writing. Fortunately, for bizarre reasons beyond his control, Mewman writing and Earth writing were identical, so she'd be able to use it in both dimensions. He also prepared snacks for her and always made sure that her flower-pattern robe, which was the only piece of clothing that Zora wore during the day, stayed clean. He wasn't as strict and careful as Star - which probably went against the laws of the Universe - when it came to playing with Zora, but the girl much prefers Star as a play-partner.

In any case, Zora was happy to spend some time with Angie and Rafael.

"Alright," she told Star. The princess was satisfied with the answer and patted Zora on the head, much to her annoyance. Marco chuckled upon seeing her pouting face.

 ** _Later_**

The doorbell rang and Marco, who was closest to the door, opened it and greeted the skater girl standing on his doorstep.

"Hey. We ready to go or what?" Jackie asked upon entering the house and closing the door.

"Almost. Star's upstairs looking for the tickets," Marco explained with a sigh; it was typical for Star to 'misplace' stuff, so he couldn't be too mad about it. He Jackie to the living room. There she was greeted by Angie who was sitting on the couch will a girl Jackie had heard of but never seen. Zora stared at her with an inquisitive look, her head tilted to the side.

The tried her best to play it cool and ignore the guilt that was eating her up from the inside. She'd had her chance to back out, what was done was done.

Jackie walked over to the couch and greeted the girl. "Hello. I'm Jackie, Marco and Star's friend."

Zora was reluctant to speak up and looked past Jackie's shoulder to see Marco's reaction. He seemed to be calm about the situation and was smiling, so Zora concluded that it was alright to speak to the teenage girl before her.

With a smile, Zora said, "Hi! My name's Zora. It's nice to meet you!"

 _Dammit! Why does she have to be so cute!?_ Jackie screamed internally but was mindful not to let it show on the outside. Jackie then spotted the mask resting atop the young girl's head.

 _So that's the-_

"Hmm? What's wrong?" Zora asked upon noticing that Jackie was staring at her. Zora followed her gaze and realised what had caught the elderly girl's attention. "Oh, this is just the mask my parents gave to me. At least, that's what I think it is..."

 _... your... parents..._

"Uh, Jackie. Are you ok?" Marco asked, genuinely concerned for his friend. The face she'd made a second ago was alarming. Jackie gazed at him, still dazed. "Are you feeling sick or something? We don't have to go today if you don't want to. I'll just tell Star to postpone the tickets and-"

"No!" Jackie yelped, startling both Zora, Marco and Angie, the latter of whom thought it best to let the kids chat undisturbed. Jackie inhaled a breath of air and soothed her nerves, upon which her usual calm and relaxed stance returned. "I'm fine, dude. I was just looking at how pretty the mask is."

Zora beamed upon hearing that. Her mask was pretty, after all.

"Alright. If you say so." Marco shrugged, falling for Jackie's bluff.

The two then heard the rapid tapping of footfalls on the staircase and spotted the energetic Mewman princess running down the stairs with the tickets in hand. She greeted Jackie with a light hug and a bright smile.

"Glad you decided to tag along! This will be so much fun!"

"I hope so. I've never been to that place before."

"Well, duh! 'Course you haven't been there! You don't have dimensional scissors like I do!" Star proclaimed proudly as she took out the said scissors from her pocket. Jackie chuckled nervously.

"Right, right. Anyway, I'm all set if you are."

Star smiled and tore open a portal that leads to the Bounce Lounge. However, before she could enter, she needed to take care of a few minor details.

"Angie," Star spoke to the woman who looked at her with a smile.

"Yes, Star?"

"I've told you this before, but I'll do in again just in case: that cartoon she likes is on at six; for dinner, she likes to eat Captain Crunchy's or if she doesn't feel like eating cereal, she tends to make cook something herself, so don't worry. Oh, and a cup of tea to help her sleep better. Her bedtime is at nine, but if she isn't tired let her stay up for another hour or so if Marco and I aren't back by then. Also, don't forget to-"

"I know, Star! I know!" Angie cut her off and laughed heartily. "This isn't the first time I've had to watch her while you two were doing other things, you know? Once Rafael comes back we'll take her to the park to play and grab a bite to eat at that Chinese restaurant she liked so much."

"It was really pretty!" Zora commented, reminiscing the beautiful decorations that she'd been captivated by when they'd gone to eat there. The food wasn't bad, either, so hearing that Angie and Rafael would take her there sent a wave of excitement and impatience to wash over her.

Star wasn't entirely sold by Angie's promise and added, "And remember to _not_ feed an entire bag of candy like last time! I barely got her to sleep thanks to the sugar-overdose!" Star warned Angie who whistled innocently. Zora rubbed her stomach, the not-too-fond memory of the stomach pain she'd felt the next day after overindulging on the sweet stuff.

She then heard a snicker and noticed Jackie covering her mouth with one hand in an attempt to mask her giggling.

"What's so funny?" Star demanded harshly, hating that she was the object of someone's amusement.

"You sound like a mom!"

The comment took Star off-guard, eliciting a fierce blush to tint her face. Her mouth was glued shut and her mind was paralyzed.

"Well, Marco," Jackie lightly elbowed the boy, who looked dazed, no doubt a side-casualty of Jackie's remark. "Looks like you don't have to worry about hiring a babysitter too often in the future, huh? Although judging by Star's enthusiasm, you're gonna have to start coming up with a few good names _pretty_ soon..."

"Aright! We're off! Bye!" Marco shouted as he literally shoved both Jackie and Star into the portal, then jumped in himself. Jackie may have been unaware of his and Star's 'biological incompatibility' but he really, really didn't want to discuss with her.

"Bye, kids! Have fun!" Angie said with her always-cheerful voice and waved them goodbye as the portal closed. Not a moment later, she reached behind her back and revealed a large bag of gummy worms she'd had stashed away for the occasion.

"Want some candy?" Angie whispered suggestively to Zora with an evil smirk as she opened the bag and offered it to Zora. Hey, what Star didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

"Yes, ma'am!" Zora nodded eagerly and stuffed the mouth-wattering goodness in her mouth.

 _End of Part I!_


	48. Small Preview, Some Minor Info

**Some guy asked me if I was dead or if I0ve abandoned the story.**

 _ **HELL NO! NEVER!**_

 **Things have just been hectic over the last few weeks since I got dragged into an important project by my one of my professors (they were looking for serious people so yeah I have no idea where the hell they found me, lol) and I'll have to put in some intense work over the next 2 months, and that's not even accounting for my studies and my novel! So yeah, I'll update this whenever I can!**

 **On a side note, the next chapter is in the finishing stages and will probably be out this Sunday, after a huge delay. In the meantime, here's a _tiny_ extract from one of the key scenes to keep you guys in anticipation!**

* * *

"Star... I... I..." Jackie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling it before putting on a serious face, startling the princess. What startled Star more was when Jackie grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her across the dance floor towards Marco. Before the boy could question what was going on, he, too, was caught in Jackie's grip as she dragged both of them away from the crowd of dancers.

She released them only when she'd found an unoccupied spot of ground that would offer them _some_ discreetness.

"Uh, Jackie, is everything alright? Why'd you suddenly drag us over here?" Star asked, genuinely confused at her friend's behaviour.

"Because..." Jackie hesitated, looking towards the ground, unable to face the two. "Because... I... I have something to confess, to both of you."

 **Annnnd that's all you get!**


	49. Chapter 8: Secrets Exposed, Part 2

**Well, the update has arrived! I hope you guy will enjoy it as always ^^!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Secrets Exposed, Part 2**

As the portal closed behind the trio, Jackie immediately covered her ears. The music was deafeningly loud and it felt like a true blessing when Marco offered her a set of earplugs to help muffle the noise. Once they were in, she could finally enjoy the music without hurting her ears.

"Much better. Thanks."

"No prob-"

"What took you peeps so long!? Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting here!?" Pony Head scolded Star, Marco and Jackie as they entered her field of vision, interrupting Marco. "I've been standing here for, like, 3 minutes! That's 3 whole minutes of my life I'll never get back!"

"Don't you mean _floating_ here?" Marco corrected her with a smug grin as he walked up to her, earning a menacing glare from the flying unicorn head.

Pony Head narrowed her eyes angrily and puffed loudly with her nose like a horse. "Boy, you're lucky my bestie and you are goin' steady, otherwise this horn would be stuck somewhere you _do not_ wanna know about!"

Marco swallowed audibly and flashed Pony Head a nervous smile as he retreated a step back.

"Hehe, kidding! Kidding!"

"Mm-hmm... You'd better be..."

"C'mon guys, we just got here!" Star declared and jumped between the two and wrapped an arm around each of them, hugging them close to herself. "You'll have plenty of time to squabble some other time! Right now we're here to dance our butts off!"

"You know it, girl!" Pony Head agreed. Star loosened her grip on both of her captives and flashed a smile towards Jackie. "You've met Pony Head before, right?"

"I think so, yeah," Jackie shrugged. "Kinda hard to forget a flying horse head."

"Uh, excuse me? You mean a flying _pony head_?" Pony Head corrected.

"Technically, you're a unicorn, so..." Marco commented, adding his opinion to the conversation.

"Alright, that's enough chit-chat!" Star declared, having grown weary of the idle conversation. "Let's go have some fun!"

The party cheered in agreement and headed over to the bouncer. The large ogre with a nose half the size of his head and dressed in an inappropriately fancy tuxedo eyed the group of teenagers for some time, but said nothing and gestured them inside as he tiredly mumbled, "Welcome to the Bounce Lounge."

Once they were inside, Star and Pony Head wasted no time and dashed straight to the dance floor while Jackie and Marco headed over to the refreshments table and poured themselves a cup of punch each.

"This place sure looks like lots of fun!" Jackie said in admiration, sipping on her drink and humming approvingly at the delicious taste. "And this punch rocks!"

"See? And you didn't wanna come along..." Marco said with a teasing smirk. Jackie stuck her tongue out at him with a quasi-irritated face, but soon dropped it and shared a quick laugh with the boy. "Anyway, it's been a while since we've, you know, talked or hung out."

"I've just been really busy with stuff, you know." Jackie shrugged and drank more of her punch.

"Yeah, I've noticed. What _have_ you been doing, anyway?" Marco asked, arching his eyebrow. "I hardly see you outside of school anymore. Is everything alright?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, of course, duh! Why wouldn't it?"

"I dunno. You're usually so laid back and relaxed, so hearing that you're so busy that you can't even grab a slushie or something is a little strange..."

Jackie fell silent for a time, staring blankly at the boy, then responded with a flat tone, "Everything's fine, Marco. Like I said, I've just been busy with some... personal stuff and I just haven't had that much free time to hang out with you guys. That's all there is to it. Really."

"That's an understatement," claimed Marco. "Last time I asked you if you wanted to grab some ice cream, you didn't text back until 3 days later."

"Busy..." Jackie replied nonchalantly and put on a smile. "Anyway, I'm here now and we're in a party house, so why don't we stop standing around already and join in on the fun!"

Marco followed the direction of Jackie's hand and saw her pointing at Star and Pony head. The princess was - rather comically - doing what was supposed to be a robot dance. However, her movements were so stiff, it looked like she was a robot that hadn't been oiled up in a while. Pony Head was dancing next to the princess with what appeared to be another flying unicorn head, larger than her and with a blue mane. It looked male, Marco's best guess was that she was hitting on the unicorn.

Marco finished his punch with one large swig and nodded to Jackie.

"Alright," he said, a smile on his face. "Let's go have some fun!"

Jackie smiled in agreement and downed her own cup of punch, then threw it to the ground carelessly and rushed to the dance floor. Marco picked up the plastic cup with an annoyed sigh and disposed of both cups in a more suitable way; by throwing them into the recycling bin some feet away from the snacks table.

"That's better," Marco said, giving himself a good pat on the shoulder before rushing off to join his friends on the dance floor.

 _ **Earth**_

"This is hard!" Zora exclaimed, frustration written on her face, earning an amused giggle from Angie. Angie, at Zora's request, was teaching her some basic principles of mathematics. Zora was enthusiastic at first, but her enthusiasm soon turned into frustration as they went from simple addition and subtraction to division and multiplication. Why the girl wished to spend her free time learning maths was a mystery, but Angie liked the idea and enjoyed spending time with the lovable girl, whose stubbornness and unwillingness to let go of pen and paper until the equation was solved reminded Angie of herself when she was younger.

A knock on the front door interrupted their study-session. Angie excused herself and went to answer the door. Upon opening it, Angie was greeted by a well-dressed young man wearing a warm smile.

"Good afternoon. I presume this is the Diaz household?"

"So it is."

"And you must be Angie Diaz," said the man in a friendly manner, extending his hand in greeting. After a quick handshake, the man continued, "I am inspector Bill Horker. I've been sent here because of an anonymous call I received earlier today, and I would like to follow up on it."

Angie looked startled.

"Uh, a call about what?"

The man's friendly smile turned into a serious frown.

"About your alleged illegal harbouring of a young girl without the required jurisdiction and paperwork. May I come inside?"

 ** _The Bounce Lounge, Some Hours Later_**

The longer they danced and hung out, the more apparent was Jackie's forced cheerful behaviour, which Star took notice of. She couldn't pinpoint it, but something about Jackie's constant smiling and her supposedly-energetic dancing felt... off. It was almost like part of her was sincerely trying to enjoy the party and have fun, while the other half was being distracted by burdensome thoughts. Not only that, but Jackie frequently kept making excuses to leave the dance floor, always taking out her phone and saying that someone 'important' was calling her, although she never revealed the caller's name. She looked more and more tired each time she did so.

Everyone else seemed oblivious to her behaviour, but not Star. The princess knew the difference between a 'I'm having so much fun right now!' face and a 'Yeah, I'm having so much fun right now!' face, the latter of which she could attribute to Jackie.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Star, be careful!" Marco's irked voice brought her back to reality. She instinctively looked at him and saw the displeased frown he was aiming at her. She wondered what was making him upset, then noticed that her foot was atop his. "Star," he continued. "I thought we were dancing together! This is the fifth time you've stepped on my foot! Be more careful, will ya?"

"Oh, sorry," the princess apologised and removed her foot from his. She looked around awkwardly for a few seconds, then said, "Um, Marco, do you mind if we take a little break? I need to go talk to Jackie for a bit."

"Um, sure? But what do you-"

"K! Thanks! You're the best!" Star exclaimed hastily and rushed away from him before he could finish his sentence, leaving him alone and annoyed. Star looked for Jackie but failed to find her on the dance floor or at the refreshments table, meaning that she was likely in the bathroom, yet again.

Right the princess was, for as soon as she opened the door of the lady's room, she could hear Jackie speaking to someone, likely over the phone. Despite knowing that she shouldn't eavesdrop on someone, Star wanted to know why Jackie wasn't as lively as one would expect, so she decided to listen in on the conversation from outside the stall.

"Yeah, I'm still with them," Jackie said to the other person on the line. "What? Already? But what about-" She paused for a few seconds as the person on the other end of the line spoke to her. Star could hear Jackie sigh wearily before speaking up, "I see. Alright, I'll take care of it, even if it _is_ theft..."

 _Theft?_ the princess wondered. Was Jackie attempting to steal something?

"Mm-hmm, got it. Yeah, bye."

Lost in thought, Star forgot to back away from the stall door as it opened and was consequently spotted by Jackie, who stared at her with panicked eyes.

"Oh, Star!" Jackie stammered, hastily pocketing her cellphone and putting on, or rather attempting to put on a relaxed smile. "Uh, sorry about this. I've just got this, um, this part-time job interview I've got to schedule and the guy in charge keeps hanging up and, um, stuff."

Star tilted her head sideways and looked at her friend with perplexed eyes. She was definitely lying. _And what was all that talk about theft?_

"Jackie, you know you can talk to me, right?"

"Huh?"

Star approached the girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Look, I overheard you talking about stealing something-" Star could feel Jackie tense up, so she quickly added, "And I've noticed that haven't been having fun today. I know you're a good person; heck, you're probably the kindest person on Earth and Mewni combined! I know you'd never steal from someone, so if someone is forcing you to do something, just tell me and Marco and I will help you out."

Jackie blinked a couple of times. A deep frown settled on her face and she cast her gaze on the ground.

"I... nobody is forcing me into anything, Star." As she said that, Star noticed the guilt in her voice. For whatever reason Jackie was doing what she was doing, she clearly wasn't proud of herself. Star smiled.

"Look, Jackie," Star spoke in a soothing voice. "Whatever's going on, just tell me. You know you can trust me with anything, right? I'm your friend! So please, talk to me."

"Star... I... I..." Jackie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, which she exhaled before putting on a serious face, startling the princess. What startled Star more was when she grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the bathroom and over to Marco, whom she also grabbed before dragging both of them away from the dance floor onto a less crowded part of the Bounce Lounge, after which she released them from her grip.

"Uh, Jackie, is everything alright? Why'd you suddenly drag us over here?" Star asked, genuinely confused by her friend's behaviour.

"Because..." Jackie hesitated, looking towards the ground, unable to face the two. "Because I have something to confess."

Star and Marco exchanged a quick glance before returning their gazes to the skater girl.

"Uhh, confess what?" Marco asked, wishing to know what was troubling his former crush.

"Well, here goes nothing..." Jackie murmured to herself, clenching her fists tightly, and looked at the two with shame in her eyes. "The truth is that... that I'm really-"

"I'd hold that thought if I were you."

" **Ahh!** " Jackie screamed and stumbled forward, knocking Marco over. and landing on top of him. "Sorry!" she immediately apologised and got off him.

Upon standing up, Marco glanced at the source of the girly voice and, lo and behold, there stood Janna, flashing a proud pose as she stared at the two. Marco rubbed his eyes to make sure it wasn't some type of hallucination and, to his woe, the troublesome girl really way standing before him.

"Janna!? What the heck are you doing here!? We didn't invite you!" Marco yelled, frustrated at Janna for somehow showing up uninvited, yet again.

"Don't mind me," she said colly, a sly smirk on her face. "I'm just here to watch the fun," she said calmly, then looked at her wrist upon which was strapped a decorated mewman watch, and added, "In about 5 seconds... 4... 3..."

While Janna was counting down, Marco shot her a nasty glare, tired of her constant meddling in his affairs.

"Janna, I don't have time for your nonsense!" declared Marco "Now please explain to me how you even got here and-"

" _ **FIREBALL! EVERYONE DUCK!"**_

Marco, Star and Jackie turned towards the source of the panicked voice. It took Marco but a moment to notice the flaming ball of doom hurtling towards Jackie. He reactively grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her out of harm's way. The fireball exploded upon hitting the ground and caused the floor to catch fire. Fortunately, none of the guests was hurt, but the fire did stir up a panic as everyone began rushing towards the exit.

"Marco! Jackie!" Star yelled in a panic and dashed to her friend and boyfriend. "Are you ok!?"

"We're fine, we're fine," Marco assured her as calmly as he could. "But what was-"

"Stay away from my friends, **_you vixen!_** "

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **WAT!? JANNA KNOWS MAGIC!?**

 **Yep! She does, indeed! Fret not! All will be explained!**

 **'Till next time! And remember to leave feedback!**

 **Expected update: Next week!**


	50. Chapter 8: Secrets Exposed, Part 3

**I really did plan on publishing this one week earlier, but I spent more time studying for my mid-term exams than I'd anticipated... my bad, guys.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Zeldex72: Will try, my friend! And thanks!**

 **Guest: *ahem* ENGLISH, MOTHERF***, DO YOU SPEAK IT!? (Sorry, couldn't resist xD In all seriousness, I don't speak Spanish, so please type future reviews in English if you can.)**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Secrets Exposed, Part 3**

"Stay away from my friends, **you vixen!** " a rage-filled, demonic voice boomed. The trio turned towards the source and saw Tom floating mid-air, his eyes burning with demonic flames, two fireballs in his hands, both aimed at Jackie. Behind Tom stood the red harpy girl Marco had met some time ago, bearing a blank, expressionless look.

"Tom!? Have you lost your marbles!?" Star yelled at the demon, waving her hands frantically above her head. "You could have killed us!"

"Yo, I'm here. What did I miss?" Pony Head stated as she casually floated over to her friends, more specifically Janna.

"Eh, nothing much," Janna replied dully. With a snap of her fingers, a bad of popcorn popped in her hand. "Want some?" She offered to Pony Head, who didn't question it and gave her a nod.

Tom landed on the ground and shot a vicious glare at Jackie as he aimed a fireball at the frightened girl. Star and Marco both stepped in front of her. The princess aimed her wand at the demon.

"What the heck, Tom!?" Star yelled while glaring angrily at him.

"Star, Marco, step away from her! You don't know what you're dealing with! She's dangerous!" Tom declared, refusing to lower his arms.

"Jackie!? Dangerous!?" Marco said, his voice a mixture of anger and confusion. He crossed his arms and chuckled mockingly. "Tom, I have no idea what's gotten into you, but you're crazy if you think Jackie is dangerous."

Tom's eyes narrowed further as the staredown progressed. He lowered his arms but did not extinguish the fireballs, ready to shoot as soon as he had the chance. He looked directly at Marco and asked, "Marco, you remember _that thing_ we talked about?"

"What thi- oh, _that thing,"_ Marco followed up on his question, eying Star for a moment before giving Tom a hesitant nod.

"Thing? What thing?" Star questioned the two, feeling upset that the two had a secret she didn't know of.

Neither answered the princess. Marco instead replied to Tom,"Yeah, I remember. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"She's one of them," Tom replied, short, sweet and to the point.

Marco's eyes widened in shock and he immediately turned his head around to look at Jackie.

 _There's no way she's evil!_ he mulled upon seeing her cowering in fear behind him, probably scared out of her wits.

Marco's head snapped back towards Tom.

"Not buying it."

"What!?" the demon demanded, surprised by the boy's decisive response. In a moment of disbelief, Tom released the magical energy that was being used to materialise the two fireballs in his hands. "Dude! Trust me on this!" Tom pointed an accusing finger at Jackie. "She's evil!"

"Tom, did you hit your head or something?" Marco replied nonchalantly, refusing to believe a single word that came from the demon's mouth. "This is Jackie you're talking about. Jackie Lynn Thomas. Essentially the coolest and nicest person on the face of the planet!"

Behind them, Jackie stood motionlessly, her expression unreadable.

"Marco! Star! Step aside right now!" Tom demanded once more and summoned two additional fireballs. "I don't wanna hurt either of you! I just wanna talk to her!"

"Talk to her? Really?" Marco asked rhetorically, eying the two balls of flame in Tom's hands. "Unless your definition of talking is hurtling fireballs at someone, I highly doubt you 'just wanna talk'!"

"Hey! I'm a demon! I am not to be held responsible for any rash actions that I may commit!"

"You almost killed us!" Marco declared.

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

"Did not!"

"Did so-"

" **Knock it off!** " Star screamed, startling the two into silence. Both looked at her. Star shot an annoyed glare at each, then said, "Alright. Now that I've got your attention, would someone mind explaining to me what in corn's name is going on, and why Tom wants to incinerate Jackie?"

"We used a memory restoration spell on Tom," the red harpy in the back calmly explained. "It ended preemptively, but enough of his memories were restored to allow him some recognition of the past."

"Uh, and you are...?" Star asked.

"Trisha. The royal librarian. A pleasure to meet you, princess Star Butterfly." Trisha replied as she bowed respectfully. "I would advise the two of you to step aside so master Tom can incapacitate the malefactor that is taking cover behind you."

"Huh?" Star arched an eyebrow at the harpy, unable to understand her terminology.

"She wants us to let Tom hurt Jackie!" Marco explained, his very tone implying that he would not allow that to happen. He daren't look at Jackie; the poor girl was probably scared out of her wits right now. Tom took notice of this and tried the diplomatic approach.

"Marco, listen! What could I possibly gain from making this up! She's evil!"

Despite Tom's tone of sincerity, Marco wouldn't have any of it.

"Tom, I'll give you 10 seconds to apologise to Jackie and stop this... whatever it is!"

"...so you don't believe me?"

"Not a single word."

Not a moment after the exchange of words, Tom raised his hands.

"Sorry guys, but you leave me no choice! This is for your own good!" Tom shouted in a demonic voice and hurtled a single, large fireball at the three. Star raised her wand to cast a counterspell, but fumbled around with her hands and allowed the wand to slip out of her grasp. She hastily picked it up and raised it anew, but before she could muster up a spell to protect them, the fireball was mere feet away. Suddenly, a golden sphere enclosed the trio and blocked the fireball, allowing none of its flames to harm them.

Star looked around in confusion and froze upon noticing that the source of the magical barrier was none other than her human boyfriend, Marco. He was standing in what looked like a karate position, with his right arm fully extended and the palm of his hand wide open. Upon lowering his right arm and relaxing his posture, the magical barrier dispersed.

Everyone present, aside from Janna and Jackie, stared at the boy dumbfoundedly as he was glaring menacingly at a confused Tom Lucitor.

"Tom," Marco said calmly and crossed his arms angrily. "That was not cool, dude!"

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz! Since when can you use magic!?" Star shrieked definingly into the boy's ear. He turned to face her with an expression of disbelief and rage.

"Tom just attacked us and you're mad at me!?" he demanded, stretching his arms out to the sides rapidly.

"This is getting spicy!" Janna muttered through a mouthful of popcorn.

"I know!" Pony Head agreed. "This is better than my favourite Korean drama!" Pony Head then arched an inquisitive eyebrow at Janna. "By the way. I thought you were just some regular girl from Earth. How'd you come here and conjure up that popcorn?"

Janna smirked and, instead of answering the question directly, took off her hat for a second and pointed at the top of her head.

"Ohh... so that's what you are! I knew there was something off about you, girl! Nice! I approve!" Pony Head seemed impressed, no, delighted at the new discovery. "Wanna chill out sometime?"

"Sure. What's your number?" Janna asked whilst returning her hat to its rightful place atop her head.

As the exchange between the two continued, they remained completely oblivious to the happenings around them.

Things were definitely heated.

"Look, all I'm saying is that me knowing magic is _not_ the main issue right now!" Marco explained as calmly as he could in an attempt to calm his girlfriend's temper. After a moment of consideration, Star gave in and nodded.

Satisfied, Marco turned his attention to Jackie. She wasn't as frightened as he'd expected. She didn't look scared, at all, rather dazed.

"Jackie," Marco placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her back to reality. "Don't worry. We won't let Tom hurt you. Everything's gonna be fine. We'll talk him out of this nonsense."

"Nonsense!?" Tom, having overheard the boy, walked over to him but kept a few feet of distance in case things went south. "Marco, I'm telling you the truth! She, is, dangerous! She's one of them! You've gotta trust me, man! I'm not making this stuff up!"

"One of who?" asked Star, but received no answer.

"Tom, look. I'm willing to forgive you for attacking us, but you've gotta stop this nonsense. Jackie could never be evil, and she definitely isn't dangerous. She's one of my closest friends."

Marco looked at Jackie, expecting her to look at least somewhat relieved after his words, but instead, all she did was frown and sigh heavily. She then began mumbling something in a language he could not understand.

" _Erum et'ta ri Mera, Mera et tu'um Rizik."_ Once the words were spoken, an azure glow engulfed her eyes and hands.

"J-Jackie...?" Marco took a step back, his mouth agape.

"No!" Tom shouted and threw a fireball at Jackie. It never reached her. Instead, it stopped mid-air, spun around, and shot at him with full force, hurting him across the room. Trisha reactively caught him but saw that he was out cold.

Before either Marco or Star could react, blue serpents sprung from Jackie's hands and wrapped themselves around each of them, like snakes do when squeezing the life out of their prey, and squeezed tightly, incapacitating them and sending them falling to the ground. Jackie then walked over to Star and knelt down next to the shellshocked princess. Star stared at her and noticed great remorse in Jackie's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Star, but I've been betrayed way worse than this..." Jackie murmured as she took Star's wand from her. The princess stared in shock as Jackie pulled out a pair of dimensional scissors, cut open a portal, hesitated for a second, then walked through as the portal that then closed behind her.

She was gone.

The serpents pinning Star and Marco in place faded into oblivion, allowing the two to pick themselves up. The two could only stare at the spot where Jackie had disappeared.

"My wand... Jackie stole my wand!" the realisation hit Star like a hundred-tone train speeding at a million miles per hour. Her expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief. She then looked at Marco, and her expression of concern shifted into one of anger and hurt. "And you! You can use magic! Why can you use magic!? And you-" she pointed a finger at Tom, who'd just regained consciousness and was rubbing his aching head, "Why did you attack us outright instead of just talking to us!? And what's the deal with you and Marco hiding something from me!? _**What the heck is going on!?**_ "

"Star, calm down!" Marco pleaded and patted her on the back. She was huffing and puffing from anger and he was fairly sure he saw steam coming out of her ears. She shot a vicious glare at him. Nonetheless, he kept his composure and said as calmly as he could. "Look, if you give me a few minutes, I'll explain everything to-"

"Alright! Explain! Explain to me why you can you magic, why Jackie is an evil villain who stole my wand and what you and Tom keep referring to all the time! Talk, buster!"

 _Jeesh, she looks like she wants to bite my head off!_

Marco sighed and nodded.

"Ok. So, do you remember that time I walked outside during the not-wedding afterparty?"

"Yeah. I sent Jackie to look fetch you. Why?"

"Good. Well, you see, I was called outside by Tom who explained a few things to me, some pretty important things. Apparently he was a member of some group-" And so Marco explained most of the story to her; how Tom had confessed about his involvement in the evildoers' plans, how he'd warned Marco about the oncoming danger, how his memories were wiped after he'd left and how, apparently, Jackie was also part of the crew of villains. The only detail he left out was the Curse of the Bloodmoon. She didn't need to know that.

Not yet.

Once he was finished, everyone fell into a silence, which Star broke.

"So in short, there's this gang of evildoers that are planning on doing... something, but nobody, not even my mom knows exactly what that something is?"

Marco nodded. "And they took your wand. And Jackie seems to be one of them, which I still can't believe..." he said, adding insult to injury.

"And Tom was with them?" Star looked at To upon asking this. The demon made no attempt to deny it and nodded shamefully.

"Yeah, sorry. But the moment I realised what those sickos were up to, I pulled out. I swear that I have no ties to them anymore."

"Tom," Star looked him in the demon "Did you remember anything else aside from Jackie? Like, where their base is or who the leader is?"

Tom only shook his head.

"I dunno. I woke the moment I saw her in my memories, so anything prior to that is a giant blur," he said apologetically.

"Dang it!" Star kicked the ground in frustration.

"We could cast the spell again," Trisha commented.

Tom shook his head. "No. If it's used repeatedly it could wipe out my memories entirely. I'm not risking it. I'd rather wait a week or two before using it," he stated. "If it isn't too late by then," he added reluctantly. "Damn it! Why didn't you trust me on this!? I told you that girl was evil! I made my point more than obvious!"

"You threw a fireball at us!" Marco declared without hesitation.

"... good point..."

Star sighed. "Well, this is just great!" she slumped onto the ground. "Oh, mom is gonna kill me for losing the wand. _Again!_ "

"I mean, she can't really blame you for this mess of a situation since nobody even knows what exactly is going on. We're kind of in the dark, here." Marco commented.

Star sighed and nodded, then narrowed her eyes dangerously as she stared at Marco.

"Tom, Janna, Pony and..." Star struggled to recall the red harpy's name.

"Trisha," Trisha said.

"Right. Could you guys please leave for a moment. Marco and I have a few things to talk about. Things like _keeping secrets_ from each other!"

Marco swallowed audibly. The rest of the group knew what she was implying and, apart from Janna, felt a lang of sympathy for Marco, then went to the other side of the dance floor, leaving the young couple to themselves.

Star kept a challenging stare on Marco, then sighed and turned her head away from him. Marco scratched the back of his head awkwardly, then sat down next to her. They remained thus for a time, each expecting the other to initiate the conversation. Marco was the one who broke under the pressure.

"So..." he began awkwardly. "On a scale from 1 to 10, how mad are you at me?"

Star wobbled her hand.

"Ehh, somewhere between 7 and 8, I guess."

"Oh, that's not so bad..."

"You should ask me how disappointed I am."

"Oh..."

"Marco, I thought we agreed to trust each other and not keep secrets!" Star exclaimed. "Why would you not tell me that you can use magic?"

"Well, Cosmos told me that you magic users don't like it when species outside of the magical realms pick it up," explained Marco in a diplomatic fashion whilst looking straight at her. "So, are you ok with the fact that I can use magic?"

Star jumped on the spot, eyes wide.

"Yes! Duh! Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" she proclaimed, her voice cracking numerous times. Marco didn't believe a single word.

"...Star..."

"Argh, fine! I am not cool with it!" she admitted.

"Well, that was easy."

"You're a human! You're not supposed to use magic and _**why can you use magic!?**_ " Star grabbed him by the shoulders and violently shook him for several seconds until she came to her senses and realised what she was doing. "Sorry!" she recoiled and watched Marco wobble in place and rub his head, which was no doubt spinning. Luckily he was already seated and recovered quickly.

"Urgh... this is why I didn't wanna tell you anything..." he groaned and looked at her with a straight face.

"You still should have. I mean, yeah, I can't say I approve of it, but you always have a reason for doing something, so why did you learn to use magic?"

"I-I just wanted to keep you safe, ok?"

"Keep me safe?"

Marco nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you're my best friend. Once I found out about the danger we're in and how powerless I am against other magic users, I felt like I'd be a burden rather than a help if we had to fight any of them and you'd end up having to protect me, but _I_ wanna be the one to protect _you_ , Star!" Marco declared. Star blinked several times as her lips curved into a faint smile. However, Marco was so lost in his rambling that he took no notice of it. "It's just- I'd never be able to forgive myself if you got hurt while I could only stand there and watch! I had to do something to make sure I could protect you! And it's not like I wanted to keep it a secret from you, but then Cosmos told me not to tell you because you would get mad at me and I didn't wanna make you mad and-"

"Oh, shut up," Star said and interrupted him with a big hug. Marco could feel that this wasn't an 'all is forgiven' hug, but an 'I'm mad at you, but I'll let it slide' hug. His assumption was proven true not a moment later. "I think it's sweet that you went to such lengths just to protect me, silly, even if you tried hiding it for who knows how long."

"Yeah, sorry..."

"I'm happy that you care about me so much! You're the best boyfriend any princess could ask for!" Star broke the hug and gave Marco a quick peck on the cheek, then added in a bleak voice, "But if you ever hide something like this from me again, you'll have to make me so many nachos that you're gonna have nightmares about them!"

Marco chuckled at Star's threat and gave her a thumbs up.

"Alright, miss Butterfly, we have a deal!"

Once their argument was settled, Star and Marco turned their attention to the rest of the group, only to find that Janna was gone. Tom was in a conversation with Trisha and Pony Head was enjoying the free leftover snacks. The two teenagers stood up and made their way over to the demon and the harpy, who promptly put their conversation to a halt.

"So, any idea about what we should do?" Marco asked Tom.

"I'm gonna go back to the castle and order a few of my men to scout for Jackie, though I can't guarantee that they'll find anything," he explained. "And you?"

Marco pondered for a moment, rubbing his chin.

"Well, we'll have to tell Star's parents about her wand. We can't keep it a secret from them."

Star nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, but can we do it tomorrow? After what just happened, the last thing I need is my parents yelling at me for losing the wand. Again."

"Alright, we'll do that," said Marco. "Anyway, there's not much else we can do right now. I guess I'll go check out Jackie's house tomorrow and see if I can find anything, meanwhile you can call your mom and tell her about the wand situation." Marco sighed heavily and shook his head.

 _So Jackie is..._

He clenched his fist. He still couldn't believe it.

"Alright, that's all we can do at the moment. Hopefully, we'll find some clues soon and find a way to track down Jackie and the wand."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Tom said, then opened a portal to the underworld. "Ok, I don't think we have the luxury to waste time, so I'll just go on ahead and notify the scouts. Be careful, you two. Now that they know that we know about them, there's no telling what their next course of action is gonna be."

"No worries," said Marco with a determined frown. "If those guys try something, I'll make sure they'll regret it."

Tom gave him a nod and departed with Trisha.

"Well," began Marco. "Let's head home, shall we?"

"But what about Princess Pony-" Star was about to say 'Head' when she noticed her other best bestie munching away at the snacks table.

"Gurl, you can go on ahead! Ain't no way I'm lettin' free food go to waste!" Pony Head stated, then dove headfirst into a large bowl of punch.

Marco smacked his forehead and Star smiled a proud smile.

"Oh, Pony, never change."

Marco sighed, then took out his scissors, cut open a portal and led Star through, ready to enjoy some rest and relaxation. However, upon their return, the two discovered something that would quickly collapse their plans.

 ** _To be continued in the Epilogue..._**

* * *

 **Chapter End notes: You guys can probably tell what's about to go down. No worries, you won't have to wait another 2 weeks for the Epilogue. It'll be up tomorrow or the day after, promise!**

 **Remeber to leave a faovurite and a review!**

 **'Till next time!**

 **Bye!**


	51. Chapter 8 Epilogue

**As promised, the Chapter 8 Epilogue! I was simultaneously writing a bonus one-shot that I'll publish by the end of next week (So no chapter 9, but that'll come in 2 week's time.)**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 ** _SugarQueen97:_** **What? Um, this is just the chapter 8 epilogue. I've still got 4 more chapters in store for you guys!**

 _ **Hello there: Ahh! General Kenobi!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 8 Epilogue**

 **Taken**

 ** _Location: Diaz Household_**

"What a crappy day..." Marco declared as he and Star stepped out of the portal which closed behind them and walked over to the front door of his house.

"I'll say," Star agreed. "Jackie; my wand; some new evil organisation..." Star sighed deeply and frowned tiredly. "What a sucky situation to be in..."

"Well, it's there's really no point in sulking about it." Marco opened the door and gestured Star to go in first. "I mean, what's done is done! Right now we need to act. Fast."

"I know what you mean, Marco," said Star, entering the house, "It's all just hard to stomach for me and I'm still not entirely ok with you and Tom keeping this a secret from me."

Sighing, Marco followed her inside and closed the door behind him.

"I was worried when Tom said they might do something to you, and I couldn't let that happen. I'd rather they hurt me than you, Star."

Upon hearing that, the princess spun around and shot Marco a playful smirk.

"You are such a dork, you know that?"

Marco stepped closer and mimicked her facial expression. "Well, I'm your dork-" he then raised his hand to her eye level and pointed at the ring on his finger. "-and I am never going to take this thing off."

Star couldn't let his overconfidence go unpunished, so she narrowed her eyes dangerously and said, "Well then,

"Huh? Um, no, I mean I literally can't take it off. It's stuck for whatever reason." Marco demonstrated this by pulling as hard as he could on the ring. It didn't budge. "I'd have more luck ripping off my finger than removing this. I'm assuming that the same goes for you."

Star arched an eyebrow and pulled on the ring on her finger. Like Marco's, it didn't budge. "What the-" Star bit the ring several times and pulled on it with her teeth, unsurprisingly without much success. "It's like it's fused with my finger!"

"Yeah, _kinda_ forgot to mention this tiny detail back there," Marco chuckled nervously. "At least you know now, right?"

"Great, yet another thing I'll have to tell mom about..." Star sighed wearily. She was not looking forward to the conversation, at all.

"Speaking of moms..." Marco led Star to the living room where he saw his mother sitting on the couch, her posture and facial expression anxious. "Mom, we're home."

Angie did not so much as look at them but instead kept staring blankly at the TV that was turned off. Marco and Star exchanged a curious glance, then walked up to the woman. Marco snapped his fingers before her face, snapping her out of the trance and earning a startled look.

"Mom, are you ok? You kinda had me scared for a second there," said Marco. "Is something wro-"

"She's... they took her..." Angie uttered, breathlessly. The duo exchanged a worried glance. Angie's gaze lingered on Marco for a brief moment, then stood up and walked over to Star, staring at her with an apologetic stare as though she was the perpetrator of the crime and was asking the victim for forgiveness.

"Star... Marco... I... They..."

Star took a step back, her air light and her legs wobbly. Star felt something stir within her, an odd, alien feeling new to the princess, a feeling so intense that it took a complete hold of her body and mind. All she could recall before hitting the floor as her mind went blank was Marco's panicked cry. But even her lack of consciousness couldn't free her from the haunting reality that she was now a prisoner of.

She couldn't explain why, but it felt like a part of her had been stolen, and she would get it back.

Yes, she would get it back.

She wouldn't allow Zora to be taken from her.

 ** _End of Chapter 8._**

 ** _To be Continued in Chapter 9._**

* * *

 **Hate Jackie yet? Yes? Well, you're about to hate a bunch of other people in the coming chapters, that I can promise you!**

 **Till next time (2 weeks)**

 **Bye!**


	52. Chapter 8,5: A Dance, my Queen?

**A/N: The next chapter isn't done, but I wanted to give you guys some insight on the relationship between Moon and the mysterious woman, so I wrote this bonus chapter. My finals are steadily approaching, so I'll most likely post the chapter next week, then go on a hiatus until the end of July (Although I'll probably post one update in between just to prevent you guys from having to wait too long ^^!)**

 **Anyway, enjoy this bonus! And as always, reviews are welcome!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Sugar: I was kidding. But yeah, the writers have no idea how to handle characters. Thankfully, I am alive and succeed where they fail.**

 **allen Vth: The worst day for Star? LOL! Good joke!**

 **SuicideGuy: Well, any advice on how to name them?**

 **Starco4Life: Can't believe it myself, to be honest. The 1st chapter of 'My Star' seems like a lifetime ago! But I'll make sure to finish this story, no matter how long it takes!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 8.5**

 **A Dance, my Queen?**

 _ **Castle Mewni, Royal Bedchambers**_

"River, are you sure that this is a wise idea?" Moon asked her much-shorter husband, who was strapping on a set of chainmail while two servants were busy attaching a couple of steel shoulder pads onto his shoulders. The small king, against the word of his royal advisors and his wife, had come to the decision to personally march against a small group of monsters that were terrorising the countryside and the villages outside of Mewni's magical monster-proof barrier. He didn't perceive them as a real threat since Toffee was in captivity and they'd beaten them effortlessly the last time, but after hearing that yet another village had been ransacked, he decided that enough was enough.

"Honey," River replied with an undertone of anger adorning his voice. "This has been going on for long enough! Those beasts have not only been burning our crops and our villages to the ground, but they've also had the nerve to attack us directly last time. I refuse to stand by idly as they burn our homes and slaughter my people!" River stomped his foot angrily, scaring his two servants. "This ends today!"

Moon sighed and looked at her husband with a weary look. "Dear, I completely understand your anger, but we have plenty of men looking for those monsters. Just three days ago, our scouts found two of their encampments and our men made shift work of them. There's really no need for you to risk your life, as well. What if something were to happen to you, River? What could I tell Star?"

River flashed his wife a cocky smile and chuckled. "Risk my life? Haha! That's a good one!"

"I'm being serious, River!"

"I know, honey. I know." River admired the now-completed set of armour that his body was overlaid with, then turned towards Moon and smiled a reserved smile. "I can't deny that it would truly suck if something happened, but those men of our clearly have no idea how to hunt monsters! They don't mask their scent by rolling around in monster droppings or even lick the imprints of their feet to get a good sense of how close they are! It's high time I take charge and teach these wiper-snappers how we used to hunt monsters in my day!"

Moon rolled her eyes whilst the two servants exchanged looks of disgust upon hearing their king's 'methods' of tracking monsters. Seeing that their work was done, the more than happily left the royal chambers, mumbling something to each other with disgusted faces.

Evidently, Moon was still worried about his well-being, so River strode over to her and took her hand, grabbing her attention. Smiling softly at his queen, he spoke in a gentle yet confident voice, "Moonpie, you don't have to worry about me. I've fought my share of battles under Mewni's banner and not once have I encountered an opponent strong enough to bring me to my knees! I'll show those monsters who's boss and I'll be back before you know it!"

Moon gave him a reluctant sigh and a nod of approval.

"Very well. Just- please stay safe out there..."

"It's those monsters you should worry about," River joked, kissed his wife's hand, then turned to leave the chambers. Moon watched him leave with a sorrowful look, then sighed and walked over to the giant mirror mounted on the southern wall of the room. She stared at her own reflection for a time, losing herself in her thoughts. She gazed down at the ring on her left hand, allowing herself the tiniest of smiles as she remembered the day River proposed to her. Well, it wasn't much of a proposal as it was him tripping over the leg of a chair and knocking her over while holding the ring box in hand. Not exactly a fairytale proposal, but he always was a clumsy oath, one that she loves dearly.

How smile vanished as a single thought crawled into her mind.

How much longer until the final stage of the game would begin?

How many would soon lose their homes and their lives?

Was her course of action truly the most optimal one?

How much longer could she keep quiet about it?

"Oh, not much longer, my dear Moon. Not much longer at all..." A rich, sinister womanly voice answered the question for her. The Queen recognised it in a heartbeat, for that same voice belonged to her.

Moon closed her eyes and responded with a heavy voice, "Is it really you, or another one of your spells playing tricks on me?"

"Turn around and you'll find out."

Moon opened her eyes and spun around, facing the figure that stood there calmly. Their gazes met. For a moment, she thought that she was looking at her own reflection until she noticed the two black spade marks on the woman's cheeks and her dark-purple gown that was not unlike her own in shape.

The womanly figure smiled a thin smile at the queen.

"Miss me?"

Moon shook her head sternly, maintaining her calm posture, her hands crossed below her waist.

"Can't say I have."

"That's rude," the woman replied, sighing. "And here I was, thinking we used to be so close, you and I. I guess even the closest of relationships are destined to fade into nothingness..."

"Relationship? Is that what you call it?"

The woman chuckled.

"I suppose that's stretching it. Shall we settle on the term _partnership_ , then?" the woman suggested. "Yes, partnership. I think that best describes it."

"What do you want? Why've you come here?" Moon got straight to the point, narrowing her eyes at the woman whose thin smile lingered. "If this really is you and not another one of your illusions."

"Why don't you come closer and find out for yourself, my dear Moon? I don't bite..."

The mysterious woman offered and stretched out her hand with an open palm, inviting the Mewman Queen to step forward and convince herself that what she saw was no trickery. Moon reluctantly stepped over to her lookalike and placed the palm of her own hand atop of the woman's. The woman smiled.

"See. That wasn't so hard, was it? And yet you accused me of trickery. That's a very rude thing to do, you know..." the woman smiled ominously at the Queen, their gazes locked and their hands intertwined. "A dance, my Queen? Like the good old days?" Without waiting for a response, the woman took a step sideways, then another, and another, all while maintaining eye-contact with the Mewman queen. Moon followed suit, and the two found themselves shuffling in a circle, mirroring each other's footsteps to the letter.

"You haven't changed," Moon commented after a time, smiling a pained smile. "Always toying with me. You truly are awful..."

"Come now. Don't lie that you've not enjoyed every shared moment with me."

"That I won't. I only wish it were a good thing."

"Is it not?" The woman smirked and took a step towards Moon. The queen raised her hand, creating a bridge underneath which the woman passed whilst fully spinning around her own axis. Once she was through, she raised her own hand and allowed Moon to pass underneath. "Wasn't it thanks to me that you managed to step up and end Mewni's struggles all those years ago?"

"Yes. And for that, I hate you."

"Yet here you are, talking to me and sharing a dance," said the woman, smirking suggestively. "You're a true hypocrite, _Mona_."

Moon stopped in place, ending their little dance and withdrawing her hand.

"It's been years since anyone's spoken my birth-name. Not even River knows about it."

"There are but two others who know it, both of whom wish death upon you, one of whom is prepared to do it herself."

"Toffee and Nerida," Moon said flatly, then flashed a faint smile at the woman. "Although, you've done a good job with hiding the latter. Took me almost twelve years to find her, and that was only because I sent Star to earth. Dumb luck, I suppose."

"Yet you've not taken action against neither me nor the two. Well, Toffee is locked in your dungeons, but still, I wonder, Mona, just what is going through that pretty little head of yours?"

Moon remained silent for a time before mustering up a response.

"Would things be any different had I acted otherwise?"

"Hmm... no." The woman smiled. "Your fate was sealed the moment you made that pact with me. Still, I thought you'd at least try to avoid it."

"I deserve whatever's in store for me. I just wish that my family and my kingdom are kept safe."

"Worry not, Mona. Once _he_ is summoned to this world and Mewni falls, there will be peace. Just like I promised you."

"Did you come here to gloat?"

"A little," the woman giggled sheepishly and shot Moon a sinister smirk. "But I do miss our conversations. And I'll miss them even more once all is settled and our deal is completed. Won't you?"

"No."

"I can tell when you're lying, you know. But you always were the proud type. Then again, it was thanks to your pride that we met, so it's not all bad, I suppose," once her rambling was done, the woman waved her hand, opening a dark portal. "Anyway, I must be off. Your daughter and her friends seem to have discovered a piece of the puzzle, and I need to get back and handle this mess."

"Just make sure you keep my daughter out of this like you said you would!"

"No harm will befall her. I'm not a evil, unlike _someone else_ in this room." Moon recoiled, knowing full well that she was in no position to bargain. "Anyway, be seeing you soon, Mona. Take care." As she stepped into the portal, she heard Moon bid her goodbye and smiled upon hearing the Queen of Mewni speak her name.

 _She hasn't forgotten. Good to know that she does still care about me. A real shame that she's such a fool. Oh, well._

Once the portal was closed, Moon sighed and exited the chambers.

Time was running out.

 _End of Chapter 8.5_

* * *

 **A/N: Liked it? Confused? Good! The woman's name will be revealed eventually, but I'd like to hear what you guys think it will be.**

 **Anyway, feel free to leave a favourite and a review, and I'll see you next time!**

 **Bye!**


	53. Chapter 9: Family, Part 1

**A/N: 1 word: _EXAMS_!**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **allen Vth: Or is she ;)?**

 **Bedrock Armor: ECLIPSA IS NOT IN THIS STORY XDDD!**

 **Sugar: ECLIPSA IS NOT IN THIS STORY! I LITERALLY JUST WROTE THE SAME THING TO THE GUY ABOVE YOU XDD! Anyway, glad you find it interesting!**

 **Rock Raider: A ritual? Anyway, you guys are in for one hell of a rollercoaster!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

 **.**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Family**

 **Part 1**

"Star! Marco!" Zora leapt from her chair upon spotting the two as they walked through the door of the room, unable to contain her joy and excitement, and crashed into Star, wrapping her arms around the princes' waist and hugging her with all of her strength. Star returned the hug with equal fondness while Marco stood by Star's side and smiled a warm smile, then join in on the hug.

Upon separation, the two teens noticed a gleam in Zora's eyes, her smile now a light frown.

"That man over there just came and took me to this place." Zora cast a sidelong glance at the man in question. He was a youth wearing a fancy uniform and observing the three from a distance, a thin smile on his face. "I was really scared..."

"We know you were, Zora, but don't worry, he's not gonna hurt you," said Marco with a reassuring voice, albeit he couldn't mask his discomfort with the situation. Zora nodded, feeling a bit less tense but far from calm. Star took notice of this and decided to take action. She calmly made her way over to the said man, who didn't seem to mind her sudden approach.

"Um, excuse me mister police officer, but what-"

"Oh, I'm not a police officer," he cut in. "I'm from the CPS."

"Fine, whatever." Star dropped her polite attitude, unappreciative of being interrupted mid-sentence. "Why'd you barge into Marco's house and take Zora?"

"Because it's my job," the man replied coolly. "I got a call about a small girl living with a family without any legal paperwork. As a member of the CPS, it's my duty to look into such cases and take action if need be, and there was definitely a violation of the law going on."

"I don't care about your stupid earth-laws!" Star declared with a stern voice, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes angrily at the man. "We found her and took her to Marco's house and have been taking good care of her! You had no right to take her away like that!"

"I'm afraid that's not how it works, young lady," the man chuckled, amused by her naive statements. "I had every right. You should consider yourselves lucky that I didn't file an official report, otherwise you and everyone else involved in the matter would have gone to court and possibly prison, and I doubt you would want that, would you?"

Before Star could respond, Marco, who'd made their way over to Star and were now at her side, spoke up, "Alright, look. I understand the law perfectly fine. I've got most of it memorised," The man cast a surprised look at Marco, seemingly impressed, "But with all due respect, this... isn't exactly your typical case, sir."

"Oh?"

"You see, we didn't really kidnap her or anything since there wasn't anywhere to kidnap her from. Star I kinda just found her out in the woods, alone and freezing to death." Marco added in a much lower voice, "She probably would've died if Star and I hadn't been there. She got really lucky we spotted her, otherwise..." Marco declined to finish his sentence, shuddering at the thought of what might have become of the girl were he and Star too late.

"What!?" the man looked at Marco in alarm, his eyes wide and filled with shock. "In the woods!? Alone!?"

"Yep," both teens said in unison nonchalantly.

"Well- where!? When!? And why didn't you inform the local authorities about it!?" The man's voice rose with each question, as did his anger. The thought of someone deciding to harbour a young girl instead of informing the authorities was an inconceivable stupidity. "Do you have any idea how- how-how foolish of a decision that was? Her parents must be worried sick about her! And yet you-"

"Uh, I don't think her parents being worried about her is gonna be an issue..." Marco murmured awkwardly, lowering his voice so that Zora, whom he'd told to sit on one of the chairs while he and Star settled the issue, wouldn't hear him. "Her parents and her home are kinda not there anymore... as in gone. As far as we know."

The man opened his mouth to say something but was at a loss for words, and rightfully so. From what he understood, two teenagers had found a girl in the forest, discovered that her parents were dead and her home destroyed, possibly during some disaster, yet insisted on stowing her away instead of taking a smarter course of action and contacting the authorities.

Glaring at them, he said, "And yet you have the audacity to come here and ask me such foolish questions? What you people did wasn't just detrimental for the girl, it was outright ludicrous!"

"Detrimental? Ludicrous" Star chuckled drily. Those were strong words, ones that couldn't have been more wrong. "Ever since she's been with us, she's had a better time than ever."

"Really now?"

"Don't believe me? Fine by me! We'll just ask her. Zora!"

The young girl heard her name being called and dashed over to Star's side, happy to be included in the conversation.

"Yes?"

Star smiled sweetly at the girl and knelt down, looking her in the eyes.

"Zora, have you been having a good time since we brought you to Earth with us?"

"Mn-hmm." She nodded.

"And is it better here than at you old place?"

"Definitely!"

"There ya go!" Star declared to the man with a smug grin and a confident tone. He was not impressed.

"That's all fine and dandy, but the fact is that neither you two nor the adults of the household had any right to allow her to stay with you. Rules are rules."

"She's not even from this dimension!" Star yelled, waving her arms wildly. "As a matter of fact, she's from Mewni and she used to be a slav-"

"Star, shh!" Marco silenced his girlfriend, placing his hand atop her mouth. Things were crazy enough already, so mentioning the years of abuse Zora had gone through was unnecessary. Nevertheless, she'd said enough to gain his not in a good way.

"Not from this dimension?" He gave her a sceptical look, unamused. "And where exactly is she from if she's not 'from this dimension', hmm?"

"I've told you she's from Mewni!"

"Mewni? I've never heard of a 'Mewni' before."

Star rolled her eyes at the man's statement.

"Duh! It's a different dimension."

"That's cute," said the man, clearly mocking Star. A different dimension? Kids' nowadays really did come up with the craziest of lies to help get them out of a sticky situation. But Star was persistent and nodded.

"Yep. And since she's from another dimension, your rules don't apply to her! So ha!"

Thinking she'd won the battle, Star grabbed Zora's hand and was ready to bolt for the door and take her home, but the man stopped her before she could even move a muscle.

"Alright. And where's your evidence of the existence of this so-called Mewni? Hmm?" His eyebrows arched sceptically and his arms crossed, the man didn't bother masking his doubt. Star took notice of this and confidently reached into her pocket, extracting a pair of scissors and pointing them at the man's face.

"Watch and learn!"

She put a finger in each hole of the scissors and began cutting the air with confidence, eyes closed, expression calm and composed. Once she was done, she spun around and said confidently, "What do you think of that?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure what cutting the air was supposed to accomplish, so not much."

"Huh?" Star spun her head around and was the surprising absence of a portal to Mewni. She tried cutting it open again but the thing refused to appear. "What the-" Startled, Star tried vigorously to cut open a portal to her home dimension, but the scissors refused to work.

"Lemme try."

Marco took them in hand and tried cutting open a portal, but the result was the same. The scissors, for whatever reason, weren't working.

Both teens bore perplexed looks that soon turned into looks of frustration. Out of all the times that the scissors could have decided to not work, it had to be now.

The man was staring down at them, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Ok," began Star, "Since this isn't working, I'll just use my wand to-" as she reached into her back pocket to extract the magical object, she slumped and made a dull expression of annoyance. "Right... Jackie took it..." Star slapped herself and dragged the hand down her face. "Great... Just great..."

"Uh..."

"Well then," the man spoke up. "If that's everything you two have to say, then I'll just be on my way and start making arrangements for a foster family for the girl. Now, please be on your so that-"

"We're not going anywhere without Zora!" Star snapped back, standing her ground and taking the girl's hand. Zora seemed both happy and nervous that the two - especially star - were trying so valiantly to get her back. While Star's approach was more direct and further angered the man, Marco chose a more diplomatic route as he cleared his throat and grabbed the man's attention.

"Could we list ourselves as a foster family for her?"

"After pulling that stunt, you should be thanking me for not filing a case against you people. Now I'd suggest you leave the premises before I change my mind!"

Star released Zora's hand and stepped closer to the man so that only a hairsbreadth now separated them. She looked up at him, her expression stone cold and without fear.

"No," she said with a flat tone. "Either she leaves with us or we don't!"

"The law-"

"I. Don't. Care!" Star declared, stressing every word. She poked the man in the chest with her finger, her fierce gaze still unyielding. "You are not taking her away from me!"

Something about her tone troubled Marco. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was definitely off.

"Star," he said calmly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. There's no need for-"

Whipping her head around, the irises of her eyes thin and oval shaped, Star let loose a maddened hiss, as though possessed by some strange demon. One couldn't really call Marco a coward for screaming a surprised yelp of terror and stumbling backwards onto his buttocks. Even the man CPS agent took a defensive step away from the Mewman princess, and the other personnel who were nearby looked at the happenings, curious to know what was going on. The only individual in the room whose reacting wasn't of the same sort was Zora, the little girl calmly remaining by Star's side.

"Did you just hiss at me!?" Marco yelled at his girlfriend, trying to find some logical explanation for her action, but looking for it was like searching for a puddle of water in the middle of a drought. Marco could tell just by looking into her eyes that Star Butterfly was absent, replaced by whatever the heck this was. To further solidify his suspicion, Star's skin assumed a deep purple shade and a set of purple wings sprouted from her back. At first, Marco thought it was just her Mewberty triggering again, but he soon noticed a few distinct differences as the princess transformed: instead of just the one set of three-piece wings, two additional sets sprouted from her back. Each of her now six arms became covered by some thin glowy membrane and the topmost hands featured a set of sharp claws that looked as though they could tare through sheet-metal. Her hair turned pitch-black and instead of two butterfly-antennas were two spikes, each resembling a morningstar. Her eyes were now those of a feral predator, and to complete her predatorial look was a set of razor-sharp teeth. The creature, for Marco could hardly call it Star butterfly at this point, let loose a paralysing shriek aimed at the CPS agent, and Marco noticed a rather awkward area of his pants turn a few shades darker.

"Oh my Lord!" a police officer who'd been watching them yelled, reaching for his gun.

"What is that thing!?" another added, a step ahead of his colleague, his gun loaded and aimed at the monster.

"Cool!" Zora exclaimed, her face beaming with amazement.

Before Marco could attempt to explain what was going on - or what he thought was going on - he heard a gunshot and looked towards his transformed girlfriend, fearing the worst. To his relief, relief being a strange feeling given the circumstances, 'Star' had reacted to the danger with an unparalleled speed, firing a blast of energy from her mouth that disintegrated both the bullet and the police officers gun. Before the other policemen could follow up on their colleague's actions, Star's eyes glew with an intense violet colour and all of the policemen found themselves unable to move or even blink, as if they'd been turned into stone statues. The only three people unaffected by the monster's power were Marco, Zora and the CPS agent, who tried making a break for the door. He never reached it, for Star picked up Zora with tender care and smiled a kind smile at the girl, hugging her close to herself, then bolted past Marco, knocking him over, and used another set of arms to weave some kind of purple lasso used it to tie the fleeing man up, then took hold of the rope with two hands and flew headfirst at the wall, breaking through it like it was paper, and dragging the terrified man with her, soaring high into the sky, flying rapidly away from the police station, baffling all onlookers who noticed her.

Marco picked himself up, rushed out the door and watched helplessly as Star flew away with Zora safely in her arms and the rope that was suspending the man in her clutches, the latter screaming in terror and begging her not to drop him.

"Oh boy... This isn't good..."

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 **Momma Star is in da house :D!**


	54. Done with my exams, weekly updates, etc

**_Basically, as the title says, the exam period is over and I once again have some free time on my hands. Initially, I was planning on getting a job for the summer, but seeing that I ended up working part-time at my university in addition to studying, I can afford the luxury of having a leisurely summer, yay :D!_**

 ** _My plans?_**

 ** _Main Priority: Finish my novel._**

 ** _It was supposed to be done by now, but a lot of things got in-between and I didn't manage to get it done, so there are still a few chapters left to write and rewrite before I can say that it's completed. I'll probably publish the prologue of it as well as 1-2 chapters on Wattpad or here (details later) to give people an opportunity to read it, see whether they like it or not and tell me whether or not it's alright before I send it to a publisher or publish it independently. Wish me luck ^^!_**

 ** _Second priority: Resume weekly updates on my fanfiction stories (until the end of the Summer.)_**

 ** _I've left you guys having to wait 2-3 weeks for a single update at times, and I think you deserve better, so I'm planning on making sure that there will be at least 3 updates per month, maybe 4 if I'm feeling extra inspired. It should be manageable and I'm hoping to conclude 'Staring it up!' by the end of the Summer/the beginning of Autumn._**

 ** _Third priority: Publish 'My Star' on Wattpad._**

 ** _After a kind guest informed me that someone had stolen my story and begun publishing it on Wattpad under their name (the situation has since been resolved), albeit in Polish, I've decided to 'polish' My Star and publish the whole thing on Wattpad. This isn't the first time my story has been stolen as a Japanese and a French version of it were online for some time until I had them taken down due to plagiarism, but if anyone wishes to share my story with others and translate it, just send me a message. Seriously, that would be friggin' cool and I'm honestly not that strict of a person, I'd be very happy, in fact, ^^!_**

 ** _Fourth priority: Create and manage a new account of non-fanfiction stories._**

 ** _I'll make on both here and on Wattpad (or some other site for writers.) The plan is to publish small original or inspired stories and see what people outside of the Fanfiction universe think of me and my writing. If you'll follow either of them, constructive criticism will be encouraged!_**

 ** _As you can see, I'm very ambitious and I'm hoping that my plans will come to fruition. I'm taking a day or two off to relax a bit, then I'll start working on everything that I've mentioned, starting with the next chapter of Staring it up!_**

 ** _Expect the next chapter of 'Staring it up!' to be uploaded either on Saturday or on Sunday. I think you guys will like it ;)._**

 ** _C ya!_**

 ** _-jolleIQ_**


	55. Chapter 9: Family, Part 2

**A/N: Well, from here on out, there should be weekly updates,or 2 weeks at the max, but definitely no more than that, sono more having to wait 3-4 weeks for an update!**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **SugarQueen97: Well, I guess there's only one way to find out, isn't there :P?**

 **allen Vth: I don't even know myself, dude xD. This fanfic stopped being normal a long time ago...**

 **archivewriter3: 'Going full mama bear' - from this moment on, this is my favourite review xD**

 **Bedrock Armor: Okay!**

 **Rock Raider: Yeah, I think that should serve as pretty conclusive evidence. And I've got a lot planned, just gotta write it, which is the hard part xD**

 **Sugar: Thanks, although if things go well with my novel, this may just become my job :D! But thank you for being patient with me ^.^!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Family**

 **Part 2**

"Urgh..." Star awoke with a groggy groan, rubbing her aching head. She sat upright and gradually opened her eyes. Once her vision had adjusted to the bright rays of the dawn, she whipped her head from left to right, blinking confusedly and arching an eyebrow.

Why was she in the middle of the woods? Come to think of it, did Echo Creek even _have_ woods?

Star's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a soft, even breathing and looked down at her lap to see Zora sleeping soundly.

"Aww..." Star smiled a warm smile and cooed at the sight of the girl all cuddled up with her. As much as it pained her to do so, Star had to rouse the girl from her nap since this was clearly not the time for a snooze.

"Zora... Zora..." the princess whispered softly, gently shaking the young girl until she heard a few moans of protest and knew the girl was awake. Zora slowly opened her eyes and yawned cutely, then looked up at Star and gave her a tired smile before letting out another yawn.

"Sleep well?"

"Mh-hmm," Zora gently cooed and rubbed her tired eye.

Star smiled and helped Zora stand upright, then got off the ground herself and asked, "Uh, do you know how we got here?"

"You don't remember?" Star shook her head. "Well, how do I put it. Um, you turned into something, well more like _some thing_ and flew the three of us out here."

"I did that?"

"Yep! And it was cool!"

Star rubbed her chin and hummed in thought, unable to recall having done anything of the sort, then cocked an eyebrow as a thought crossed her mind.

"Wait, you said the three of us?"

Who was the third person?

" **Get me down from here!** "

Star looked skyward to see the CPS agent dangling from a tree, suspended mid-air by a mesh of purple web-like strings that Star immediately recognised as her own doing. The man looked unhurt but was scared out of his wits, tossing and struggling to break free from his purple bastille and calling out for help.

"How did he get up there?" Star casually asked Zora, seeming unconcerned for the man's safety.

"You put him there," Zora replied. "Do you really not remember anything?"

"Not a thing..."

" **Would you just get me down from here already!? Please!** "

"Yeah, yeah," Star grumbled. "Gosh, some people are just so impatient..."

"How are we gonna get him down?"

"That's the part that I'm still trying to figure out."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the branch will just break off?"

Star chuckled and pat Zora on the head.

"Zora, Zora, Zora... what are the odds of something like that happening at such a convenient time like-"

Star cut herself short upon hearing the distinct sound of the cracking of wood, followed by a short, terrified scream and a loud *thump!* as the man landed face-first onto the ground.

The two girls stared blankly at the unmoving man for a time.

"... pretty high, apparently..." said Zora, to which Star nodded in agreement. "Is... is he alright?"

Star shrugged and stepped over to the man, then picked up a stick a poked him with it a few times.

Nothing.

Then a light groan.

Then some stirring.

Finally, the man lifted his head from the dirt and looked up at Star and Zora, stared at the two girls for a time, then jumped with a panicked cry and hit his back against the tree, trying to claw his way as far away from Star as possible.

The princess arched an eyebrow at him.

"Uh, are you al-"

" **Don't eat me!** "

The man curled up into a ball and shivered violently from fear, clearly on the verge of a panic attack.

"Woah! Relax! I'm not gonna do anything!" Star replied, a tad offended by the man's remark. What did he think she was, a wild animal? "Listen, I don't even know what happened after you ticked me off back there, so would ya mind filling me in on the details?"

"Details? _Details!?_ " Having regained his vigour, the man stood up and dusted himself off, then glared down at the princess. "You attacked me!"

"I did what?"

"I wouldn't say attacked," said Zora, "But you did disarm those people in blue clothes and then you took me and him and brought us here."

"Took? Hmph! More like abducted!" The man added, his arms crossed defiantly. "You have a lot of explaining to do! You... you... _freak!_ "

"Hey! I am not a freak! I told you I was from Mewni, but you wouldn't listen! It's your fault!" Any guilt that Star may have felt turned into thin air upon being called a freak. Given the man's situation, he was in no position to insult her. "And besides, it's not like I did it intentionally! It just... happened!"

"That still doesn't change the fact that you assaulted a group of police officers and abducted me!"

Star rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, shotting the man an even look. "Well you abdoohickied Zora, so I guess that makes us even."

"I did not-"

"Can the two of you please stop fighting?" Zora pleaded. "This isn't accomplishing anything. We need to figure out where we are and what to do, and we can talk about this later!"

The man sighed.

"The girl's right," he told Star. "Putting your felonies aside, we're stuck in the middle of the woods, so I'd advise we cooperate for the foreseeable future, then we'll settle this agenda, agreed?"

He offered a handshake to Star, albeit the expression accompanying it was less than happy. Star thought about declining the man's offer, but seeing Zora's hopeful face made her reconsider, so she, too, let out a sigh of defeat and shook the man's hand.

"Alright, we've got a deal. But I have a bone to pick with you after this!"

"As do I, young lady!"

"Ahem!"

The two looked towards the source of the angry warning protest and saw Zora shooting them an irritated glare. "What did you just promise?"

"Sorry," the two apologised in unison and parted their hands. Zora smiled.

"Anyway," Star began, "I have no idea where we are and there's no telling how long we'll be stuck out here-" she took out her cellphone and frowned, -and of course there's no signal out here, so I can't call Marco to come find us. You?" The CPS agent also took out his phone but also frowned and pocketed it thereafter. "Well then," Star continued, "looks like we're on our own."

"You mean we're stuck here?" Star nodded in response to the man's question and pocketed her cellphone. "Can't you just turn into that thing and fly us back?"

"I told you, I don't know why it happened! It's not like I can control it..."

"Excellent... just excellent... So we are officially lost in the middle of a forest! Fantastic!"

"What is up with people getting lost in forests all the time, anyway?" asked Zora.

Star shrugged. "Meh, it's a simple and easy solution to keep the main characters separated for a chosen span of time while also allow the happenings in two different parts of the story to continue simultaneously, thereby allowing the story to continue smoothly without needlessly interrupting its flow."

"Uh... What?"

"Hey! Don't look at me! I don't know where that stuff just came from!" Star declared. "I think I should see a doctor about this..."

"Thank you for the elaboration, but I don't plan on being stuck here for long, so I'll lead us out of here!" The man declared confidently and explained his plan. "The plan is simple: we'll just walk in a straight line and until we see or hear signs of civilization! Easy!"

"Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" Star voiced her concern, casting a questioning look in the man's direction. While she was no expert in forest-survival, her dad had taught her a thing or two about the woods, and she was pretty sure this was one of the more important things. "It's walking in a straight line exactly what you _aren't_ supposed to do in a situation like this?"

The man chuckled mockingly. "Silly, silly girl. This is why I'm the adult and you're not." Star was tempted to wipe the smug grin off his face but remembered her promise to Zora. "Just let me do the thinking, and you do the walking. Now follow me," he ordered and began walking in a random direction without a second thought.

Zora and Star exchanged a look.

"We're gonna die, aren't we?"

"Yep."

 ** _Meanwhile_**

 _*_ _beep_ _*_

Marco was tapping his foot at a furious pace, his expression betraying his anxiety.

 _*_ _beep_ _*_

He knew she had her cell phone on her, so she was either still in that monstrous form or she was deliberately ignoring him.

 _*_ _beep_ _*_

"C'mon Star, pick up already!" Marco was losing more and more patience with each passing _beep_. When he finally heard a voice from the other side, it wasn't what he'd been hoping for.

 _The number you have dialled is unavailable or outside of service range. Please try calling b-_

"Argh!" Marco ended the call and almost threw his phone onto the pavement but rethought the decision and instead put the device into his pocket. He took a prolonged breath to relax his tense nerves, then made a thoughtful expression.

"C'mon Marco, think! You're trying to find a purple, flying princess gone wild that flew off with a 6-year-old girl and a public services agent! How hard can it be to find them!"

Pretty hard, as it turned out. For some reason, every person Marco asked whether they'd seen, well, _that_ passing by overhead told him that they were too preoccupied taking pictures of it to actually pay attention to where it was headed. The pictures they showed him gave him a sense of the general direction in which Star had been flying, but it was not enough to fully track her down.

"I could call her mom and ask for help."

It wasn't such a bad idea. Moon would definitely know what was going on and what had triggered Star's transformation. Sadly, he never could figure out how to call someone with Star's magic mirror, and he also didn't have inter-dimensional coverage on his phone, so that idea was quickly laid to rest.

Maybe the police could help.

 _And probably shoot at her if she was still in that form._

Nope, he wasn't doing that.

Comet?

 _Probably busy with something more important._

"Janna?"

"Janna?" Marco asked aloud. Where did _that_ thought come from?

"From your right."

"My right?" As Marco was about to question his own sanity, he turned his head in the said direction and stared wide-eyed as he found his nose touching with Janna's who was smirking teasingly.

"Hi."

It took Marco's brain a moment to register the awkward position he was in, and when he did, his face turned cherry-red and hot.

"Janna!" Marco yelped and shoved her away reflexively.

"Wow! Rude!" she remarked, smirking triumphantly.

"What are you doing here!? Again!?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? Talking to you, duh!"

Marco's stress levels were already through the roof, and with Janna deciding to pop up randomly, this was enough to drive him over the edge.

Almost.

"Could you please stop doing this already!?"

"Doing what?"

"This!" Marco waved his hands about frantically, unable to phrase his desire into words, but Janna seemed to know what he was referring to.

"Hmm... let me think about it..." Janna seemed like she was putting his request under serious contemplation, then looked at him with a devilish smirk. "Nope! Not toppin' anytime soon, sorry."

"Janna, I don't have time for this right now!" Marco proclaimed, inching closer to her with a vicious glare, their gazes locked. "I'm dealing with a situation right now and I can't afford to have you waste my time with your nonsense! Now if you'll excuse me."

Marco turned away from the girl and began stomping away, in no mood to deal with the troublemaking girl right now.

"Suit yourself," said Janna in a nonchalant manner and spun around, putting on a coy look. "If you want me to go away that badly, then I guess I just won't tell you where Star is. Oh well..."

Upon hearing his girlfriend's name, Marco's pupils grew wide and he turned around to see Janna strolling away calmly.

"Wait!" he shouted, but the girl ignored him and kept on walking. Marco rushed after her and grabbed her by the shoulder, expecting her to be mad at him, but upon spinning her around, he could see a tiny smirk on her lips as if she'd known all along what his reaction would be.

Nevertheless, Janna wasn't particularly trustworthy.

"How do _you_ know where Star is? I've been looking for her for hours and haven't gotten any closer to finding her!"

"I have my ways, _Marco_!" Janna only called him by his first name on two occasions: the first was exclusively on his birthday when she was congratulating him. And the second? Well...

"What do you want this time, Janna?" Marco grumbled, already regretting asking the question.

"Hmm, the possibilities..." Marco shuddered thinking about what her request was going to be. Whatever it was, judging by the evil smirk on her face and that gleam in her eyes, it was going to cost him big time, but he needed to pay the toll if he wanted the information he was after. Janna always loved making his life a walking mess for some reason.

Janna's expression grew extra devilish and she snickered evilly, evidently having decided on the tariff for her services would be. Marco swallowed audibly. He didn't like the look on her face one bit.

"What do you want?"Marco asked, concerned about the request that was about to be voiced.

"Oh, not much," she said innocently and took a step towards him. "Just a good 'ol smooch right here." Janna leant forward and pointed a finger at her lips, smirked flirtatiously, and added, "Pucker up, _bad boy_!"

" _ **What!?**_ "

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Had to write this for all you Janco shippers out there :D! Also, I'm gonna be honest; the whole thing was about 1k words longer, but then I decided to leave you guys with this scene stuck in your brains until next week xD**

 **See ya next Sunday!**

 **Bye!**


	56. Chapter 9: Family, Part 3

**A/N: Damn it, you guys have me all figured out. The entire purpose of this fanfic was to lead you guys into believing that Starco is the main pairing when in reality it was to give Marco a harem. That is totally what I am up to. _Totally_. His harem will include, among others: Star, Janna, Pony Head, Oscar, Tom, the laser puppies, Walter White, Waldo, Scooby Do, Jackie Chan, and the entire cast of Pirates of the Caribbean.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **SugarQueen97: DW, by the end of this fanfic, Marco is gonna have about 10 girlfriends and 4 boyfriends.**

 **Rock Raider: You definitely should not have typed that, but luckily I've got other things planned that are** ore **sinister than your idea.**

 **archivewriter3: We've discussed your review (I'm still waiting for a reply, btw -.-'!)**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Family**

 **Part 3**

There are quite a few distinct sounds one immediately recognises. The cracking of thunder during a storm; the howling of the wind as it blows so strongly that it fells tress; the pouring of the rain as it gushes from the clouds.

Oh, and laughter.

Loud, crude laughter.

Indeed, at the moment, Marco could hardly think of a sound more recognisable or more obnoxious as he was once again the fool being laughed at. And who else was the source of the repugnant sound but Janna, laughing frantically, so much that Marco thought her lungs might fly out of her gut at any moment?

To say the least, Marco was not amused.

"Could you stop it already!?" Marco shouted in anger, his face bloody-red from the embarrassment.

But Janna was giving him no leisure and instead gripped her stomach that was aching from the non-stop laughter.

Honestly, it was his own fault. He should have known that the devilish Janna was toying with him when she'd named her price for the desired information. Anything to make him look like a gullible fool, apparently.

"Oh man!" Janna said in between laughs, opening one tear-filled eye and looking at Marco, then resuming her untamed laughter with an even greater intensity. "Haha! Your face looks like the butt of a baboon, dude!"

"Knock it off!"

"Sorry, dude, but you are just way too easy to tease, haha!"

" _Janna!_ "

Janna was gripping her gut tightly as it began to hurt from the laughter.

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, it is! Believe me, it is!" Janna regained just enough composure to straighten herself and look an angry and flustered Marco in the eyes. "So easy!"

Marco rolled his eyes.

"Ha-ha, yeah, you got me, hilarious..."

Marco's resentful expression and posture seemed to trigger enough sympathy within Janna to make her stop and pat him on the shoulder.

"C'mon, I was just messing with you. You should be used to it by now."

Marco arched an eyebrow at her sceptically.

"Should I? Because requesting something like that isn't exactly something I should be accustomed to, Janna."

Janna chuckled despite herself. "Hey, don't worry, I was just kidding." She cast a suggestive smirk in his direction. "I know you'd never betray your darling princess, lover boy."

"Could you not call me that?" Marco groaned.

"Sure thing, princy."

"I am not a prince!"

Janna raised a finger.

"Not _yet_."

"..."

Marco sighed. This girl really did know how to jab at every single on one of his good nerves, even those he didn't know he had. Try as he may, he just couldn't win against her.

"Will you just stop wasting my time and tell me where Star is? I gotta find her before something happens that could get us into serious trouble, Janna!"

"Because assault and kidnapping aren't enough to get you in trouble," said Janna and cast a sly smirk in Marco's direction. The boy's response was instant: a low growl and a nasty glare aimed at the girl, who blissfully ignored his anger and instead continued, "Anyway, I'll do you one better: I'll take you straight to her."

"Alright, but how exactly do you know where she is?"

"Do you want me to 'waste' more of your time by telling you, or do you want me to lead you to Star first?"

Marco's shoulders slumped and he groaned irritably.

"Fine..." he mumbled, not at all pleased with himself that Janna had outwitted him yet again. What made matters worse was the smug grin of victory now plastered on her face, drowning his pride even further with each passing moment.

Janna smiled triumphantly and ushered Marco to follow her.

"Alright. Let's go find mama bear."

 ** _Meanwhile_**

"So... tired... so... hungry... need... water... need... food..."

"Dude, we've been walking for only, like, an hour..."

Star was genuinely impressed that anyone could grow so exhausted in such a short span of time as she and Zora stared at the Cps agent as he lay on the ground and kept dragging himself onward with his arms. His legs had given in after about three-quarters of an hour, and by the looks of it, his arms would soon follow. Star wasn't sure whether she should pity him or not. Either way, what she was witnessing was just sad.

"You do realise that a 6-year old has more endurance than you, right?"

The man raised his face from the dirt and shot Star a resentful glare.

"Shut up..."

"I'm just saying."

Star offered the man a hand, which he brushed away and opted to stand up by himself.

"So, Mr. Drama Queen, this is the 4th time we've passed this exact same tree," Star informed him and pointed at a nearby birch tree. "Are you still sure you wanna keep leading the way because I would be more than happy to-"

"Nonsense!" The man declared, gritting his teeth together, refusing to let his pride take a hit by being led to safety by two young girls. "You're two young girls and I'm the adult! Therefore, I am in charge of keeping you safe, even if you are the cause I'm here in the first place!"

"Are you always so full of yourself?" Star narrowed her eyes at him. "Listen, just because you're older doesn't mean you know everything or that there's nothing the two of us can do better, you know?" Star said in a matter-of-fact fashion and crossed her arms. "Zora survived alone in the freezing rain, and my dad taught me how to survive in the wilderness, so I think I am much better suited to find a way out of here than you are."

"Hmph, just like you think you're suited to take care of that girl?"

"Those are two entirely different things!"

"In what way? Wouldn't you be assuming the role of the adult in either case, hmm?"

"I-" Star paused mid-sentence, thinking of a comeback. "I'd be assuming the role of a camper more than anything else! Seriously, what is your problem!?"

"My problem, young lady, is that you're stepping ahead of yourself."

"Stepping ahead of myself? I'm just trying to do the right thing!"

Both knew that the topic of the conversation was no longer who would guide the group, but something of far greater proportions. What surprised Star was the man's sudden shift of expression; he no longer looked angry, more worried than anything else.

"Listen," he began with a surprising calmness to his voice, "How old are you again?"

"Fifteen."

"Exactly. Fifteen. As in _teen_. As in _teenager._ As in-"

"I know what it means, I'm not dumb!" declared Star. Did he really think she was an idiot? She swiftly added, "And I'm definitely not a kid!"

"But you're also not an adult, and you're definitely not old enough to even consider becoming that young girl's legal guardian!"

Star was stunned and stared a the man with wide eyes. Zora, too, stared dumbfoundedly, but her gaze was aimed at Star, not at the man.

"You... what?" The small girl asked breathlessly in a state of complete disbelief.

"I..."

Star had no response. How could she respond when she'd been caught red-handed? If she were a book, then it seemed as though this man had read her through and through time and time again, or at least the chapters that featured her inner thoughts.

Zora could only look at the princess dumbfoundedly. To say the least, she was not expecting _this_.

After a time the man spoke.

"Listen, I think it's time we resolve-"

" _Star! Zora! You here?_ "

The familiar voice calling her name snapped the princess out of her daze. She turned towards the source of the cries and soon noticed the brustling of a bush from which none other than Janna and Marco emerged, the former smiling proudly as she whispered something to Marco, forcing a groan of agitation from his throat to which Janna chuckled.

"Marco!" Star forgot herself for a moment and lunged at her boyfriend at full speed and practically flew through the air as she jumped at him and knocked him over.

The boy found himself pinned to the ground by Star in a suffocating hug. Just as he thought the situation couldn't get worse for him, Zora mimicked Star's behaviour and joined in on the fun, crawling underneath Star - and subsequently crushing Marco's ribcage - so that she found herself pinned between the two teenagers.

 _Well, I guess this isn't the worst way to go..._

"Marco, you found us!" Star yelled in delight.

"Thank Janna, she's the one who led me here."

"Thanks, Janna!" Star thanked the girl, interpreting Marco's figure of speech literally.

"Meh, don't sweat it." Janna waved it off as if it were nothing at all and smirked devilishly. "After all, I can't have princy over there running around town harassing people for your location."

Marco rolled his eyes and let Janna's comment slide, then looked at the other girl lying atop of him.

"You ok, Zora?"

"Mh-hmm," the girl gave him a reassuring nod. "Not a scratch."

"Well, that's good to hear but, uh, would the two of you mind getting off me? You're kinda crushing my ribcage..."

"Whoops! Sorry, Marco!" Both said simultaneously and granted Marco his freedom back as they stood up.

Marco saw a hand offering him some assistance in getting up and noticed that it belonged to the man Star had flown off with.

"Thanks," Marco mumbled and gladly accepted the aid. At least Star hadn't eaten him or anything, which was a huge relief. "What are you guys doing here anyway? Why didn't you go back to town?"

"I tried leading us out of here, but this forest is large and we got lost along the way, so it's a good thing you managed to track us down," the man explained. Marco blinked twice and cocked an eyebrow while Janna lost it at that moment and began laughing uncontrollably. "What's so funny all of a sudden?"

"Um, dude, I'd hate to break it to you, but you were never lost in any forest. We're in the park..."

"Huh?" The man looked at Marco, astonished by the new piece of information.

"Yeah, this patch of trees is, like, a hundred square feet. How could you not find your way out?"

Marco heard Janna snickering from the side, but as soon as he turned to face her, she whistled innocently and turned away.

 _That girl has a lot of explaining to do after this..._

"Anyway," Marco continued, looking up at the man. "I'm sorry for what happened back there. My girlfriend isn't exactly your everyday girl..."

"Yes, I've noticed," the man replied dully and added, "But even so, I would like to talk about a few things, if you don't mind."

The man cast a worried look at Star and Zora, then smiled at the latter.

"Sweetie, would you mind sitting down on that stump over there while the three of us discuss something... _important_."

Zora looked at Star with an unreadable expression, then feigned ignorance and nodded and obediently sat down on the stump. She was well aware of what they were going to talk about and made sure to listen in on their conversation in secret.

"Well, I'm not gonna disturb you guys. Good luck, Star," Janna winked and walked off to join Zora, remaining in earshot of their talks.

The Cps agent waste no time and gazes at Star. "So, as I was saying before, I wasn't trying to imply that you're an idiot, what I was trying to imply was that you are a mere teenager, and what you're planning to undertake is beyond your capabilities. You're far too young to take on such an enormous responsibility."

"Star, what exactly is he talking about?" Marco couldn't help but ask, unsure of what the man was talking about. What enormous responsibility?

Star took Marco's hand and cast an ashamed smile at Marco.

"Marco, the truth is that, well... we need to find Zora a good home and a kind family. We both know she deserves one."

"Yeah, I know," Marco replied. Why was she being so reluctant about this? It's wasn't like they hadn't talked about it already. As Star continued, Marco understood exactly why.

"Well, I've been thinking lately that, well..." Star aimed her gaze past Marco's shoulder and looked at Zora, who was talking about something with Janna. Star looked Marco in the eyes and took a deep breath before continuing, "I've been thinking; why look for a family elsewhere when she already has one right here?"

"I don't follow."

Star sighed in frustration and shook her head at Marco's cluelessness. The princess then smiled sincerely.

"Marco, I'm saying that... what if _we_ become Zora's new family?"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Sorry for** **the slight delay, I still had a few things to finish up this week and figure out how to write certain scenes of this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it regardless ^^!**

 **Remember to leave feedback! Constructive criticism is always welcome!**

 **'Till next time!**

 **Expected update: Anywhere between Saturday and Monday.**


	57. Chapter 9: Family, Part 4

**A/N: Well, this was one hell of a chapter to figure out, but I think I've managed to do it! Would love feedback on this one (you'll see why.)**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Sugar: Yes, they could; unfortunately, I am the author and my solution is a bit more creative.**

 **archivewriter3: What makes it even better is that I later checked how much that was, and it turns out** it's **only around 30x30 meters xD...**

 **InfiniteClockWise: Please speak in a human language, preferably English. Thank you.**

 **Rock Raider: After illegally harbouring her for months? Yeah, good luck with that idea. Anyway, I don't really consider this a spoiler since her official artwork has THE FRIGGIN' BLOOD MOON IN THE BACKGROUND, but maybe she is related to it somehow xDD...**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Family**

 **Part 4**

Marco could only stare at his girlfriend with wide, unblinking eyes, yet somehow her statement didn't come as a complete surprise. He would be lying to himself if he said that he hadn't been expecting her to eventually pop this question, given how close she and Zora had grown, he only wasn't expecting it to come so soon. But he had to make sure he wasn't the one misunderstanding something.

"You mean, have our parents take her or...?

"No, Marco..." Star said, looking off to the side in hopes of hiding her cherry-tinted cheeks. "I know this sounds crazy but... I want _us_ to take care of her." Only Star Butterfly was capable of saying something so reckless and so absurd with such a loving smile and calm voice. "It's just... I know we've only known her for a short while, but I just... don't tell you don't feel, I dunno how to say it, _connected_ to her like I do!"

Now that she'd pointed it out, Marco did have odd feelings towards the girl. They were somewhat similar to those he felt towards his princess, yet also entirely different. The best way he could describe them was as oddly pleasant.

But he didn't answer her. How could he answer on the spot to a question like that? He needed time, lots of time to consider her request. It's not that they hadn't done far more mind-boggling things in the past, but this wasn't in the same ballpark as the routine-adventures they kept facing together on a regular basis. But could he really say no to Star, who so dearly wanted this? But could he say yes?

Star could tell that he troubled and that she would need to push him out of his safe zone, and that she needed to be persuasive. She squeezed his hands tighter, grabbing his attention.

"Marco, we're gonna have to do it eventually, so why not now, right?"

"Wha-"

 _What_ was the word he was looking for, but this was just too many surprises in a row for his brain to keep functioning normally after hearing them.

"You know about that?"

"Marco, I'm not ignorant," Star frowned. "This was something I'd thought about long before we started dating, back when I had a crush on Oscar. I, um, did some research by myself and knew the truth long before my mom and dad told you."

So she knew-

 _Wait a second._

"How do you know about that talk I had with your parents? I never told you about it!"

"Oh, Janna showed me your diary. You're really thorough at describing everything, you know?" She replied, her voice revealing a hint of admiration for Marco's skills of noting things down.

 _Really, Janna? Really?_

The girl in question snickered to herself as though she'd read his thoughts.

But Marco had other things to worry about at the moment.

"Anyway, I saw what my parents told you about us probably having to adopt an heir, so I was thinking, why shouldn't it be Zora?"

Marco hummed. She was right in a sense; the girl had no parents, she loved spending time with him and Star, his parents more than obviously liked her and vice-versa, and given that, from what Star had told him, her mother had been only about a year older when she'd conceived her, he doubted that River and Moon would find the idea absurd. The the two monarchs would probably be happy that their next heir was such a clever and obedient girl as Zora.

"Star, are you saying that you really want us to adopt Zora?" The princess nodded with an earnest smile.

"I mean, we're practically married already-" her eyes drifted downwards to the silver topaz ring on her ring finger, "-and on Mewni I'm already considered an adult, so where's the problem?"

Marco nodded, but what she didn't realise was the there still was one problem.

"The problem, young lady, is that neither of you two is ready to take on such an enormous task."

Marco thought for a moment that he'd accidentally said the words aloud but realised that the manly voice didn't belong to him.

The two turned towards the CPS agent, who was frowning at them, but moreso at Marco.

"Young man, please tell me that you're not taking her proposal seriously." There was something about his tone that made Marco feel a pang of shame, his answer being an affirmative one. The man frowned as he eyed them with a concerned look. "Listen, I know what's going through your heads right now. You both think you're adults and that you're ready for something like this, but you're not."

"And who are you to judge?" Star snapped back. "You don't even know us. Any of us. I'm a magical princess and he's the absolutely best dork out there. We've been through more together than you can imagine, and we've succeeded every time!"

"Alright, but what if you fail now and the recipient of the consequences isn't either of you, but an innocent little girl you so selfishly insisted on keeping with you? Could you truly live with yourselves if something bad happened to that girl because of _you_?"

Star's voice caught in her throat and she closed her mouth, looking down at the ground with an apparent gloom plastered on her face. Marco clenched his fists and glared at the man who'd upset his girlfriend.

"Hey! We're the reason she's even alive! We took her in and helped nurse her back to health!" Marco countered, raising his voice. "Star's right, you don't know anything about us or our capabilities!"

"And both I and she are incredibly grateful for the wonderful job you've done, but this is where your part ends. Be honest with me; do either of you truly believe you can just take a leap into parenthood without any foreknowledge, and as teenagers? You're being reckless and you know it!" The man then added with a grim tone, hammering the final nail into the coffin. "Stop being selfish teenagers and think about her first, not yourselves. And since she's from another dimension, I'll advise you to find someone there so she'll feel more at home instead of forcing here to be n this dimension. Consider it my token of good faith."

This time it was Marco who grew silent. He wanted to answer with a yes, but he knew his brain was telling him otherwise. The truth was that neither he nor Star could even begin to imagine how it would be like to adopt a child under their name, even if the said child had been living with them happily for months.

 _And it's not like he'll allow my parents to adopt her, given that he was one inch short of taking them to court..._

Marco remained silent, conceding the argument.

"Maybe he's right." It was Star who spoke after a time, a pained smile plastered on her normally-cheerful face. She looked at Marco with the said smile, and as much as it pained him to admit it, he couldn't say that she was wrong, because she wasn't. "She needs real parents, Marco, not us. Parents who'll know how to raise her properly and make sure she's happy and healthy."

"My parents-" Marco was about to interject, but Star cut him off.

"Both your parents and my parents could help, yeah, I get that, but it wouldn't be the same, would it?"

Yet again Marco had no proper response and wished he could punch himself in the face.

"Let's face it, Marco. Sure, we care about her and could probably keep her happy and all, but we're just not cut out to be parents yet. When my mom had me, she was way more mature than I am, so was my dad. Me? I don't even have my wand anymore!" Marco saw that Star was fighting back tears. He wanted to embrace her and tell her that it was going to be alright, but he feared that would only break her. Star took a deep, shuddering breath to calm herself, then looked at Marco with such sad eyes that he could feel his own tears slowly building up. "We've had our fun with her, but I think it's time we give her over to someone on Mewni who'll take good care of her. I'm sure my mom knows a noble or two who'd be willing to take her in and give the life she deserves!" She was speaking frantically, clearly out of her senses, and Marco felt ashamed at himself as he was only able to listen like a darn coward. "She'll be much happier than with us! She'll-"

" **NO!** "

The sudden cry startled the two teenagers. It was Zora, glaring at them with tear-filled eyes. "Do you think it's fair deciding this without me!? Do you think it's fair talking like this after making me feel happy for the _first time_ in my life, and now you just want to dump me!?"

Star and Marco watched Zora's tantrum unfold with gaping-wide eyes. Tears were welling up in the girl's eyes and it took all of her willpower to prevent them from escaping and running down her face. The small girl stormed at the two and shot them a teary glare when the distance between them was reduced to a foot or two. Star and Marco could see the resentment in her eyes and the princess spoke, kneeling down and attempting to embrace the girl, "Zora, calm down, that's not what we're-"

"Don't touch me!" Zora shrieked and fought off Star's attempts at putting a hand on her shoulder, slapping away the princess' hand, shocking both her and Marco.

"Zora-"

"No!"

"Zora!"

After a brief struggle, Star managed to grab Zora's right hand and force the girl to face her.

"Zora, please, just listen!" Star pleaded, forcing herself to speak the words aloud. "That man's right. We're too young to become actual parents! You deserve someone who can! We-"

"Well I don't care about any of that!" cried Zora, loudly enough that half the town had probably heard her, the sheer frustration in her voice startling even Janna, who was looking at the happenings from the sideline. She cried on, and Star and Marco listened to every word she had to say. "I don't care how old you are! I don't care if you're inexperienced! I don't care if you'll never be my real parents! _I don't care about any of that!_ "

"Zora..." Star muttered. Both she and Marco were at a loss for words.

The small girl sobbed loudly, the dam she'd put up just barely able to stop the tidal wave of emotions that only Zora's willpower was holding back. Zora soaked up her tears with the sleeves of her oversized kimono, trying to remain strong. She continued, choking on nearly every word. "I've had so much fun being here and spending time with the two of you... I don't know what having a family is supposed to feel like, but I don't care... I don't care... I don't care..." As Zora's sobbing continued, Star could feel her heart breaking apart; it was her fault Zora was in this pathetic state.

What was she thinking? She was an idiot. A compassionless, inconsiderate idiot.

Star pulled the girl in and hugged her tighter than she'd ever hugged anyone or anything before. This action of hers was enough to break the dam and allow the river to flow freely at last. And Zora cried. She cried and sobbed and hiccuped, and Star could feel her pain and allowed her own tears to glide down her cheeks, and Marco soon joined in on the hug, lending his emotional support both to Zora and Star, but willing himself not to cry. Somehow, he knew he had to stay strong.

"...Zora?" Star softly asked after a time, hoping that Zora was in good enough of a state to respond. To her relief, the girl had cried herself out just enough to reply very weakly.

"Yes?"

"We're sorry..." Star felt a relief wash over her after saying those words, but there was more that needed to be said. "Zora, are you happy with us? I mean, really happy being with us?"

"Mh-hmm..."

"And, if we asked you to stay with us for good, would you really not mind?"

"No..."

Stat glanced at Marco briefly, and he smiled a reassuring smile at her, telling her that he was on board with whatever was to happen.

"Are you sure this is what you this... want us?" Star finally asked in a teary yet happy tone.

"Mh-hmm..." Zora nodded lightly into her shoulder. Star broke the hug and smiled at Zora lovingly, wiping away a loose tear and kissing her on the forehead, to which Zora froze and stared at the princess with eyes wide as plates. Star giggled at the blushing girl.

"Zora _Butterfly_. I kinda like the sound of it!" Star declared. Zora blinked a few times, then smiled and hummed in agreement, nodding shyly.

 ** _*Ahem*_**

Star turned towards Marco, who was looking at her sceptically. Did she do or say something wrong?

"Correction: You mean Zora _Butterfly- **Diaz**_."

Star sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine, Mr. Crankypants..."

Marco smiled and interlocked his hand with hers, causing them both to blush madly.

"So, Marco, you mind if I drag you into yet another adventure?" Star asked, already knowing the answer. Or so she thought.

"Honestly, I'm still not sure if I'm ready for this one." Star's heart stopped for a second but beat faster than ever as Marco finished his sentence. "But if it's with you, then I think I'm ready for anything."

Star shot him a half-smile, half-glare.

"Dork..."

The two leant closer and shared a quick but passionate kiss.

"Eww! gross..." Zora murmured in disgust, sticking her tongue out. The two teens laughed at her antics, then the three shared another intimate hug.

"Well, looks like my job here is done," Janna muttered to herself proudly, and with a snap of her fingers, vanished in a pillar of flames.

As the trio broke the hug and shared happy smiles, Zora beaming as the sun, Marco turned towards the Cps agent, who was looking at them in shock, and declared proudly, "Sorry, dude, _no deal_. Can't say no to my lady, after all."

"Your lady?" Star teased playfully, well aware that the last part was aimed at her.

"Well, 'lady' is pushing it, but you get the idea."

"You're unbelievable..."

"Love you, too," Marco said cooly and turned his gaze back towards the man, who narrowed his eyes at them.

"So, is this how you've decided in the end?"

"Yep. And don't even bother trying to talk us out of it," Marco replied. Somehow, being reckless felt nice.

"Very well..." as soon as the man said that, he took out his phone and pushed a single button on it. Moments later, Star, Marco and Zora could hear numerous footsteps all around them. Marco whipped his head around and spotted several figures emerging from the trees, each pointing a gun at them. Marco glared at the man who was shooting them a sly smirk.

"Bastard."

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Chapter end notes:**

 **Before anyone accuses me of anything, I am not encouraging children to consider having, well, children! You should enjoy your youths and not worry about such things. However, as this is a work of fiction and the fact is that in the past it wasn't uncommon for a girl to have a child as a teenager, especially in monarchies such as the Mewman one, made me shape the plot in such a way.**

 **Also, trust me when I say the following: all will make sense in the end.**

 **Till next time! Bye!**


	58. Chapter 9: Family, Final Part

**A/N: Well, this should wrap up chapter 9! Just 3 more Chapters to go! WOO!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Sugar: I did highlight the issue of them being too young with good reason, but the three will make a wonderful family!**

 **archivewriter3: *laughs evilly* I am deaf to your pleas, infidel! Muahahahaha! Btw I'll explain the situation with Janna, give it time.**

 **Rock Raider: The next one? Not so much. The final two after that? Yessir! And you can bet that I'll do something unexpected and creative, mainly because I've been winging this whole story since chapter 1. Even I don't know what'll happen in the next chapter xD!**

 **Bedrock Armor: Fun fact: My mother had me at the age of 37. Infertility is not the problem; the issues are that with a greater age, the risk of your child having birth defects increase exponentially.**

 **Damunyo: Oh, thank you very much! I hope I'll keep you entertained until the end! And you bet I watch that show; I am obligated to watch it since I'm a metalhead :)!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Family**

 **Final Part**

"Marco _*pant*_ slow down! I need to _*pant*_ catch my _*pant*_ breath!" Star pleaded, desperately trying to catch her breath, but Marco ignored her pleas and instead kept running at a full pace with Zora on his shoulders, dragging the exhausted princess by the hand.

"Nope! Not until we're at my house!" he frantically replied and would not allow a word of protest.

For all that Star's Mewman strength and endurance were worth, when Marco's mind was in a state of panic, not even the swiftest of Mewni's scouts could hope to match his feverish pace, let alone the laid-back princess. Not that his frantic state of mind wasn't reasonable. His mind was still lingering on the gruesome sight that had played out before his eyes mere minutes ago in the very familiar Echo Creek park.

Shortly after the police had arrived as backup for the cps agent and the latter had told Star and Marco that he would have them arrested for their misdoings, he tried to forcefully drag Zora away, only to have Star claw at him and tear three clean cuts across his face, then hiss madly at both him and his reinforcements. As she began transforming into the same malicious form Marco's has witnessed earlier, the police opened fire on her.

But it wasn't the shooting of the guns or Star's monstrous transformation that left Marco in a daze, it was the event that happened not a moment later.

Using his newfound magical abilities, Marco swiftly performed a few karate moves and spawned a protective barrier around himself, Star and Zora. However, no sooner than he'd cast the spell that something he could only describe as bizarre occurred.

He heard Zora cry in agony and turned to face her, only to be blinded by a red light so intense that he thought for a moment that a meteor had landed on the spot next to him. The light that had been radiating from her mask soon devoured the small girl and not long after, no trace of her remained, only a shadowy feline-like figure, wearing her cat beautiful cat mask.

What had followed her transformation could only be described as terrifying.

The two creatures made quick work of the terrified police officers, leaving Marco to watch the slaughter helplessly and pray that none were fatally wounded. To his relief, whenever Star was ready to literally tear one apart, the shadowy feline jumped before her and enclosed the officer in a dark, shadowy cloak, evidently putting him into a deep, deep slumber that caused 'Star' to no longer see him as a threat. This process was repeated until none but Marco and the two monstrosities were left. As if knowing that the fight was over, both girls returned to their normal forms and only looked around themselves with perplexed looks. When Marco had asked them about it, neither could recall their transformations.

 _Amnesia_ , Marco had concluded, then put Zora on his shoulders and grabbed Star's hand and made a run for it, aiming to get as far away from the park as possible and figure out what to do about the situation before the officers awoke and came looking for them with much more lethal forces. As far as he was concerned, Star and Zora would be classified as public threats, and he would also find himself on the wanted list, no doubt. And talking them out of it was hardly an option anymore.

 _We need to figure out what's going on._

His decision was final.

As soon as they reached the house, Marco kicked the door open and flung his girlfriend inside, then slammed it shut again and slumped over, panting as though he'd run a marathon and sweating accordingly. Zora carefully climbed down his back and thanked him for the piggy-back ride with a gleeful smile.

"Don't... *pant*... mention it..." Marco replied breathlessly. He took a minute to fully catch his breath as Star got up from the floor and glared angrily at him. "Hehe, sorry about that..."

"You threw me inside. Like, literally threw me inside!" Star said the word 'threw' with special emphasis and crossed her arms at Marco, giving him a ' _we will talk about this later, mister'_ look. Upon seeing it, he decided to address a much bigger issue, one involving their soon-to-be newly-appointed daughter.

"Star, when we were in the park, Zora turned into some cat or something. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Uhm..." Star stammered awkwardly and Marco shot her a deadpan look.

Marco sighed a prolonged sigh.

 _Of course..._

"Star, why didn't you tell me if you knew about it?"

"Because I didn't think it was anything serious!" she said in her own defence, but Marco was swift to counter.

"Nothing seri- Star! She turned into a giant shadowy cat! How exactly is that nothing to be concerned about!?" Even after knowing her for so long, the princess' logic never ceased to amaze Marco in both meanings of the word.

"I did what?" Zora asked and scratched her head in confusion.

"Marco, what even happened that you just dragged us back here?" asked Star.

"Why am I suddenly the one being interrogated!?"

 _Because they don't remember anything,_ he recalled and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. The stuff he had to deal with on a daily basis...

"Long story short, you-" he pointed a finger at Star, "-turned into that giant mewbery-like thingy and began attacking the police officers, and Zora turned into some giant cat-like demon thing and stopped you from brutally murdering them."

"I repeat- _I did what!?_ " Zora practically shrieked the last part. Surely she would remember something so inexplicably cool!

"Look, I'm not sure what the heck that was, and seeing as neither of you have a clue, I think we should get a, erm, professional opinion from someone who might know instead of breaking our heads around it."

This was the only rational course of action, decided Marco. The situation was downright weird and the three certainly lacked the time to sit around and figure it out by themselves, provided they could even figure it out at all.

"My mom might know what to do," Star suggested.

Marco smiled.

"Well, that's convenient since we're headed there anyway."

"We are?" asked Star.

"Well, we can't really stay around here with the situation so, what's the word, _heated_. It's just too dangerous, especially after what happened in the park. Plus we can tell your parents that we've decided to adopt Zora into the family straight away. The sooner the better, after all."

Star didn't need to think about Marco's words in order to know that he was right. She loved Earth and her friends dearly, but at the moment, things just weren't safe for neither them nor, more importantly, for Zora.

"Alright," she said, reluctantly agreeing to Marco's on-the-spot plan. "But we can't exactly just barge to the castle and tell them we're staying there. I'm exiled, remember?"

"Oh, right, darn..." Marco kicked his floor, brushing the floor with his heel. He'd completely forgotten about that dumb law that prevented Star from returning to Mewni so long as she was - officially - unwed. As much as he knew _what_ the simplest solution to their dilemma was, he just wasn't quite ready to officially seal the deal with Star, especially after reading the _mandatory_ wedding night _ritual_ the royal couple had to *ahem* _perform_ in order to ensure a new offspring as soon as possible _._

Marco looked at Zora with a deep frown, causing the girl to arch a perplexed eyebrow at him.

 _I am so having that law rewritten before she turns 15..._

"Ok, so that's our problem now," said Marco. "I've already checked the entire thing through, but I didn't find a loophole we could exploit. Any ideas?"

Star made an expression of deep thought, rubbing her chin and staring at the floor. "Hmm... maybe, just maybe..."

"What?" Marco and Zora asked.

"You found something?" said Marco, pressing Star for an answer. He did receive one, albeit not the one he was expecting to hear.

"Hmm? Oh, pfff, don't mind me. I was just thinking that maybe we should pack some nachos and cheese before we leave. We don't really have either on Mewni and you know darn well that I can't live without ma nachos!"

Marco facepalmed and shook his head. Only Star was capable of thinking about food in a situation like this.

"Thanks, Star. Very helpful of you."

"No problem!" Star replied gleefully, evidently having missed the obvious sarcasm in his voice.

"They don't really have to know the truth, do they?" spoke the youngest of the three voices. "You could just tell them you changed your mind, then set the wedding date in advance and tell everyone you need to be on Mewni for courting, preparations and other stuff. That would work, right?"

Star and Marco could only stare at her in an awkward silence.

"... you are way too smart for your age..." said Marco, unsure whether that was a good or a bad thing.

"I know!" Zora declared with a proud smile.

Leave it to a little kid to not overthink a come up with a simple solution to a complex problem. Marco and Star felt both impressed at Zora's thinking and ashamed of themselves. Children truly worked wonders at times.

"Well, it's worth at least a shot. Good thinking, Zora," declared Marco happily and patted Zora on the head. The small girl grumbled in ire but did not complain, still unsure whether she hater or liked this gesture of affection from the boy. "Now that that's settled," Marco continued, "I don't wanna stay around here for too long. Who knows when those guys will come looking for us, and we've just gotta find my parents and tell them to come with us, so-"

"Oh, you don't have to look far."

Marco could feel his heart stop momentarily upon hearing his mother's voice. He turned his head towards the source and saw his mother and father standing in the doorway of the kitchen, smiling at them with half-lidded eyes.

"How long have you two been standing there!?"

"Oh, for a while," Angie replied, smirking suggestively at her son.

"Well," continued Rafael, "at least, long enough to hear about _everything_ important." As Rafael spoke those words, both he and his wife looked at the small girl, then at Marco and Star, the latter two blushed violently and avoided his parents' gazes. They both chuckled upon seeing the two flustered teens.

 _Well, they definitely aren't mad..._

Angie walked over to the Zora and knelt down beside her. The woman brushed her right cheek tenderly with a loving smile.

"So, you're going to be my little _nieta_ , hmm?"

"Um, your what?"

Angie chuckled and hugged the small girl, startling her.

"Welcome to the family, darling."

Zora blushed violently as she felt an odd warmth inside, very pleasant and kind, like that of a kindling fire. She returned the hug with a smile.

"Thank you- ahh!" Angie swooped her up from the ground and walked over to Rafael, who ruffled her hair and proudly smiled at his son.

"This could not get more awkward..." Marco murmured, wishing he could disappear into thin air. Star was in a similar situation, although she still had her parents to confront. The mere thought of it made her head feel a light.

Marco took a deep breath and decided to confront the elephant in the room.

"So, not that you haven't overheard already, but we're going to Mewni until things cool off, which may take a few... years... Uh, yeah, so we kinda need you two to come live with us at the castle."

A compelling offer, one they would surely take.

"And miss out on all the fun? I think not, young man!"

 _Or not..._

"What?"

Angie set Zora onto the floor carefully and spoke with a smile, "Marco, your father and I appreciate the offer, we really do, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we just can't allow to slip by."

Needless to say, Marco had no clue what his mother was talking about. What once in a lifetime opportunity? Wasn't going to another dimension precisely such an opportunity?

"Your mother's right, son," Rafael continued. "It's been a while since your mother and I have had some action in our lives! _Si, mi amor_ _?_ " His question was aimed at Angie, who nodded affirmingly. Marco still didn't know what they were talking about until his father briefly exited the room only to come back moments later holding two sets of clothes, two wiggs, two pairs of shoes and some makeup.

The two parents put on the change of clothes (which forced Marco to avert both his gaze, Star's and Zora's) and when they were done, Marco concluded that they truly had lost their minds.

"What do you think? Does it look convincing enough?" asked Angie and spun around in place to show off her disguise, one that resembled Star's usual outfit almost too well; she even had two hearts painted on her cheeks and was wearing a blond wig with Star's trademark red devil horns, while Rafael was wearing a brown wig and a large, red hoodie.

Marco knew that he'd regret asking, but it was too compelling not to.

"I'd hate to ask, but convincing enough for what purpose?"

Rafael's immediate response had him question for how long the two of them had been planning this out.

"Why to lead the police into believing we're you two, of course! What else?"

Yep, they were officially insane. Before Marco could try to talk some sense into them, he overheard something that he wasn't sure made the situation better or worse.

"Honey, are the bikes ready?"

Rafael gave his wife a thumbs up.

"All oiled up and ready to roll!"

"Bikes?" Marco inquired, growing more troubled with each passing second.

"Oh, the two Harleys your father's been restored in the garage for the past 5 years or so."

Rafael nodded eagerly.

 _You have got to be..._

"Give me a moment to process this," Marco rubbed his temples that were aching at this point. "So if I understand this correctly, your idea of fun is running from the cops on two motorcycles!?" Marco could feel the stupidity of his question, but once he received an eager nod of affirmation from Angie and Rafael, he felt as though he were stuck in a cartoon or something. "What is this!? A crossover episode!?"

Needless to say, Marco was just _done_.

"Oh, honey," Angie walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know your father and I need a little action every now and then. We'll be fine. The three of you should go on ahead and we'll give you a call when we're ready to pay you a visit."

"What about the house?"

Angie brushed it off casually. "All taken care of."

 ** _Meanwhile (yes, these 2 still exist.)_**

"Uh, Ferguson?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure mr. and mrs. Diaz will be alright will us throwing all those parties? Didn't they tell us to just look after the house while they're gone?"

Ferguson put down the party calendar he was making and shook his head at Alfonzo.

"Tsk, tsk... Alfonzo, the more people we have over all the time, the more eyes will be watching over the house."

Alfonzo rubbed his chin and contemplated Ferguson's words, then shrugged.

"Makes sense to me!" Alfonzo agreed eagerly.

 _ **Diaz household**_

The group had moved to the garage. The three youngest members of the family were watching Angie and Rafael as they strapped on two biker helmets and matching glasses.

"Are the two of you really sure that you wanna do this?" Marco asked, although he already knew the answer.

Angie walked over to her son and gave him a quick hug.

"Marco, I've told you not to worry. Your father and I know what we're doing."

 _Somehow, I doubt that..._

Marco sighed and nodded. He knew very well that there way no talking sense into his parents. When they decided on something, they were gonna go through with it, no matter how terrible the idea. He couldn't deny that he was a bit worried for them, but then again, they were his parents, so there was probably no real reason to be concerned.

Angie gave all thee a quick peck on the forehead and whispered something into Star's ear that made her snicker and blush lightly. "Don't worry, I will," Marco heard the princess say whilst looking at him. It was safe to assume that Angie's words had something to do with him, but it was best not to ask. Angie then walked over to her bike and mounted it.

"Take care, you three! Remember to call!" Rafael reminded them, and Marco gave him a thumbs up. Upon pressing a button on the wall, the garage door opened and after another round of goodbyes, Rafael and Angie began their reckless journey and rode out on their thunderous machines.

As they were waving the two adults farewell, Star paused to look at Marco as something crossed her mind.

"Wait, what about the laser puppies? And those hellhounds your dad keeps in the backyard?"

"Uh..."

Right on cue, the two heard a chorus of dogs barking and looked towards the street to see the three hellhounds running after Angie and Rafael with the laser puppies riding on their backs, each step of the demonic dogs left a fiery footprint in the pavement.

"...well, there's my answer..." Star muttered. Hey, at least they would get some exercise and fresh air, right?

"My new family's really weird..." Zora muttered to herself. Star and Marco didn't argue her claim and only nodded in agreement.

The trio left the garage and after packing some essentials into a single suitcase Marco was tasked to carry, deciding they could always just sneak back in case they forgot something, Star took out her dimensional scissors and cut open a portal to Mewni, more specifically, the castle.

"Ready?" asked the princess.

In response, Zora walked in between her and Marco and nodded. Both teens smiled at the girl and each grabbed one of her free hands.

"Well, see ya later, Earth," said Marco and took the first step into the portal. His two girls promptly followed suit, and thus the three went to Mewni together, as a family.

Yet, as the trio walked through, an ominous, evil laughter accompanied the closing of the portal.

 _End of Chapter 9!_

* * *

 **A/N: What am I even writing at this point...**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed, and remember to leave a favourite and a review ^^!**

 **'Till next week!**


	59. Chapter 9,5: Just a Dream

**Took a bit longer to finish this one because I had a lot of work to do also and prioritised working on my novel rather than this fanfic (20 Chapters are done. 5 more to go then it's off to proofreading, polishing and looking for a publisher!) Also, my Beta reader went missing (can't contact her) so yeah, hopefully she's alright... The next update should be this Saturday.**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **SugarQueen97: Um, what do you mean by that? And anyway, the ending is best described as bittersweet.**

 **Rock Raider: Didn't you read? They're not gonna get officially married yet, but just postpone it until a more appropriate time. But yeah, they're done with Earth for now.**

 **archivewriter3: NO! They are not! Read the plan!**

 **Bedrock Armor: No wedding! You had one in the previous fic! And Marco's parents have always been insane, tbh.**

 **Thank you for your understanding and enjoy the chapter ^^!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9.5**

 **Just a Dream**

 _Dreams are a strange phenomenon. They take us into worlds unimaginable to the conscious brain. Sometimes they seem so real that we wake up wondering whether or not they were dreams, other times they send us on adventures of epic fantasy and science fiction, but rob us of the memory after we wake. Truly cruel things, these dreams._

 _And yet, sometimes these dreams impact us more than we thought, in more ways than just one._

Marco was walking down a long, winding path amid what he perceived as odd plants of some sort that looked like weeds with long stems and oddly fluffy leaves shaped like stars and moons. All were coloured red, one shade or the other, and the sky was tinted in ever-changing colours, mixing and melding as thought one had captured thousands of rainbows and stuffed them into a barely-functioning blender and was forcibly mixing them together, yet the individual colours refused to give way.

Honestly, it was making him feel a bit nauseous.

Still, dreams were dreams, and he'd dreamt enough to know when they were just dreams. He didn't always catch on straight away, but the chances of a place like that being real were nigh zero.

That being said, there was no fighting a dream. It was a ship sailing through uncharted waters on a current that flowed as it pleased and fighting it was a fool's errand. So Marco allowed himself to be taken adrift on the boat and walked down the winding path, hoping that it would eventually lead him to a place that didn't look as though someone had puked rainbows all over the sky.

"Gross..." he muttered.

 _'Tis not a pleasant thing to say about my domain, mortal._

Marco's gaze darted from left to right in search of the source of the feminine voice. He saw nothing.

"Um, hello?"

Nothing.

Marco shrugged.

Probably just the wind whispering coherent sentences into his ear. Yep. Totally just the wind.

"C'mon, I'm not an idiot..." he murmured annoyedly, and said in a louder and more demanding voice, "Who's there? This dream is weird enough and I don't need some mysterious voice talking to me to make it weirder!"

 _A dream? You mortals and your lack of comprehension of the celestial and the otherworldly..._

Was the voice mocking him?

And more importantly, who did it belong to? No matter how much he looked about himself, he could not see a single person in his vicinity, so unless one of the flowers was talking to him - which wasn't entirely impossible, now that he thought about it - there was just no source for the voice to come from.

 _Over here_ , the voice told him.

He looked in the direction.

Nothing.

 _No, here!_

"I don't see anything!"

 _Oh for the love of- Look up, mortal!_

Finally, after following the voice's instructions, Marco spotted a faint org of red light hovering towards him slowly. It looked like a miniature version of the sun, only much dimmer and surrounded by a reddish glow.

Marco stared at the light and reached out to touch it, upon which the light recoiled.

 _I think not, mortal. Lest you wish to perish this instant, I would advise you to abstain from grasping this form of mine._

Marco withdrew his hand and nodded. This dream was certainly becoming interesting.

"Uh, who are you?" he asked, upon which the voice replied.

 _I am Tarlala, mistress the of Blood Moon. I have been waiting for your arrival, mortal. Welcome to my domain._

Marco stared unblinkingly at the orb of red light hovering before him.

Tarlala? Hadn't he heard that name somewhere before?

"Oh, right! That goddess from those books Tom brought a while ago!" Marco exclaimed loudly, then looked around awkwardly. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

 _Indeed. But it matters not, for any who finds himself in my domain is subject to my will, and even their thoughts cannot be hidden from me. So speak truthfully, mortal, for I am not fond of lies._

"What exactly is your domain? What is his place?"

 _My domain is all that you see around yourself, mortal. This is my corner of this plane of existence wherein my will is absolute. You find yourself here only because I've allowed it._

"Uh huh..."

What was this orb talking about?

It wasn't lying about being able to read his mind, for as soon as he asked the question within his head, he received an annoyed answer.

 _You would not comprehend all even if I was to reveal to you the purpose of your presence but know that I have brought you here for a reason, mortal._ Marco remained silent and the orb continued.

 _Listen carefully, mortal. A great evil is rising, an evil that has corrupted that which I created and that which has been bestowed upon you by my divine light. An evil that must be stopped before the cycle is repeated anew._

Marco stared at the orb blankly.

"...so, since this my dream, can I make a bike or something appear? Like, one that looks like a dragon."

 _...why do I even bother with you mortals?_

"Give him a break, the dude thinks he's sleeping."

"What the-" Marco was startled by the familiar voice and turned his her right to find Janna emerging from a fiery portal, wearing her usual sly smirk. "Janna? What are you doing in my dream?"

"I have come because I am the one you truly love, and your subconsciousness is trying to tell just that!" she exclaimed in an overly-dramatic and obviously-fake manner that Marco didn't buy for one moment. Even in his dreams, Janna was Janna.

The orb of red light floated over to the girl, hovering in front of her face, and spoke angrily.

 _Leave my domain, trickster! This is no place for your kind!_

Janna crossed her arms.

"You know, for someone whose will is 'absolute' around this place, you seem to have trouble kicking me out."

 _Do not toy with me, half-breed! My rage is the last thing you wish to invoke!_

"Somehow, I'm not really concerned about that."

 _You wretched little-_

As Marco listened to the exchange of Janna and Tarlala, he scratched his head in confusion. He'd had weird dreams before, from racing on giant snails that hit the speed of light, to turning into a giant monster and stomping over entire cities, but none of the dreams was so detailed or so realistic. Dreams truly were a natural wonder.

"Look, kitty," said Janna, and the orb fell silent. "Trust me, when Marco is convinced about something, you are not gonna sway him. The dude is dead certain that this is a dream, so you'll save yourself a lot of trouble if you just go along with it. But hey, why trust _me_ , right?"

 _You are overstepping your authority, trickster!_

"Ah! But am I wrong?" Janna replied with an edge of confidence to her voice, to which Tarlala sighed tiredly.

 _All that power at your disposal and you choose to frolick around and use it for your own entertainment..._

"Guilty as charged," said Janna, and fell silent.

The orb seemed to consider something (although Marco wasn't sure how an orb could do that, but then again, this was his dream) and spoke.

 _Very well, trickster. Now leave! You need not hear-_

"Oh, trust me, I do."

 _Had I the power to undo you, I would._

"But you don't."

"Um, look," Marco spoke up, getting in the middle of the orb and Janna. "I'm not sure what's going on here, but are you guys saying that this isn't a dream?"

 _The mortal is wiser than you give him credit for, trickster._

"Trust me, when he wakes up, he's gonna think the opposite."

Marco arched an eyebrow at Janna.

"So this _is_ a dream?" he asked, unsure what to think.

 _It matters not,_ said Tarlala. _Now, mortal, your time here is limited, so we must conclude these talks soon. Listen carefully, for I've not the patience to repeat myself._

"Ok, I'm listening," promised Marco.

 _Oh, I know who you are, mortal,_ assured Tarlala _. Now, know that I have brought you here to both issue a warning and offer a proposal._

"A proposal?"

 _Indeed. You are unaware of this, but the path you are on leads to the destruction of your worlds as you know them. I've not the time to explain all in great detail, but soon, very soon, you shall find yourself at the heart of the fray, and your actions alone shall determine the outcome. I've seen your future, mortal, and the outcome of your current path is rather unfavourable. Quite a calamity, if I may add._

Marco wasn't sure what this thing was talking about. But he figured that he may as well play along since he literally had nothing else to do.

"Well, I don't really want something bad happening, I guess, so how can I stop it?"

 _Oh, I can help you stop this calamity. For a price, that is,_ Tarlala, mistress of the Bloodmoon, told Marco through their telepathic link. The orb glided over to him and stopped only when it was less than a hair's breadth away. Marco flinched and gave a reluctant nod, somehow finding this to be the only good response. "Ok. What do you want in exchange for your help?"

 _Nothing much; I just want to see the one who imprisoned me here all those aeons ago pay for her treachery! And you, mortal, shall help me have my revenge!_

Before Marco could respond, the world around him began collapsing. The sky itself slowly shattered and fell and the red flowers withered, turning black as coal.

 _Trickster,_ the orb said to Janna, _I know not why you chose this mortal, but I trust you shall be watchful of him._

Janna shrugged.

"Sure, it's not like I've got anything better to do."

 _Very well. Now, mortal,_ said Tarlala, speaking to Marco. _You may touch my form, and the contract shall be made, and leave the rest to me._

Marco only stared at the orb blankly.

This was definitely one hell of a weird dream.

Nevertheless, he accepted the offer and grasped the orb with one hand, upon which it glew brighter than the sun, blinding him. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself just where he thought he would find himself; lying in his bed located in the royal quarters of Castle Butterfly. He sat upright and looked around, then sighed and laid back down.

"Phew, so it _was_ just a dream after all."

Relieved, he shut his eyes and drifted to sleep, failing to notice the faint red moonlight illuminating the room for a moment before vanishing.

Just a dream... Yes, just a dream...

 _End of chapter 9.5_

* * *

 **Well then...**

 **C ya!**


	60. Chapter 10: Part 1

**A/N: Well, I'm still alive. I'm not gonna go into any details as to why I haven't updated in 3 weeks, let's just say I had lots of 'issues' to resolve, so all I can say is I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Bedrock Armor: Yeah, you ain't getting that yet xD.**

 **Rock Raider: Oh, so you know what Janna is? Well then, sir, let me hear your guess! Also, they will get married, just not yet. But yeah, they've been living on Mewni and will continue to do so.**

 **archivewriter3: I once dreamed an entire day of my life and woke up the next day questioning reality, so yeah, dreams can really f*** with one's mind. Also, Janna is much worse than Loki :P!**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **A Thirst for Vengeance**

 **Part 1**

 _ **Mewni, Castle Butterfly**_

Zora's heart was beating with the intensity of a raging locomotive as she sprinted through the long, pillared hallways, dashing from one pillar to the next in hopes of hiding from her pursuer. Cautiously, she poked her head out and took a peak.

Nothing.

She exhaled a sigh of relief and tiptoed over to the next pillar, then the next, and so on until she reached the end of the hallway that was indicated by a sharp turn right. She wasn't fully familiar with the interior of the gigantic castle, but if her memory server her, this hallway led to either the dining room or to the armoury. She didn't have much time to think about it as she heard footsteps resonating behind her. She immediately shifted into fifth gear and sprinted down the hallway to the room at the end.

It was the dining room.

The footsteps were approaching fast and she had little time to think about what to do next, so she whipped her head from left to right and quickly scanned the room and spotted an open cupboard across the room. Without thinking, she sprinted across the room, crawled inside and shut the cupboard.

Soon after, she heard someone enter the room. The footfalls stopped but soon resumed. Evidently, whoever was outside was looking for her. Zora swallowed and remained perfectly still, daring not to let out so much as a peep. The figure crept around the room, humming to itself. Each second seemed like an eternity to the girl as she listened to the humming. Would he find her, or could she remain undiscovered?

The footsteps and the humming drew closer and closer to the cupboard she was in, and she swallowed again, unable to blink, so overcome with the tension of the moment.

 _Ok, just stay calm,_ she counselled herself. _All you have to do is keep quiet until he goes away._

Her plan seemed to be working, for she could hear the person walking away from her hiding spot. Just as she was ready to let out a sigh of relief, her nose and her mouth betrayed her.

" **AAA-CHOO!** "

Zora froze up, eyes wide. The person outside walked over to her cupboard.

 _Uh-oh..._

Slowly, the cupboard opened. Her eyes were adjusted to the darkness within the cupboard, so the sudden burst of light blinded her momentarily. All she could make out were the outlines of a hand reaching for her.

It was over.

"Found you! I win!" the proud voice of a boy declared cheerfully as he helped her out of the cupboard. Zora puffed her cheeks in annoyance, eliciting a chuckle from the victorious Marco, who then took out a small notepad from the royal pantaloons he was wearing along with the royal garments, boots and cape that he was presented with shortly after the arrival on Mewni. He was told that it was mandatory for every member - or in his case future member - of the royal family to be 'presentable' at all times, which involved a lot of involuntary grooming and the wearing of flashy, royal clothing that distinguishes the nobles from the commoners. Overall, he didn't have a problem with it, but he did miss his hoodie.

"That makes it... 11-0 for me?" Marco said and flashed a triumphant and smug grin at Zora as he ticked off yet another victory for himself. Zora stomped him on the foot.

"Meanie..." she grumbled, but couldn't help hide the smile that crept unto her lips. All in all, despite having lost every single round of their hide & seek game, she'd enjoyed playing with Marco much more than she would have enjoyed her royal classes. Had she known that being a future princess was this much work and reading, she may have declined the offer to be adopted into the family.

Maybe. Just maybe.

Marco rubbed his aching foot.

"You're way too strong for your age," he complained. This was a statement that could be applied to all Mewmans. Why it was so remained a mystery to all, but then again, he was in another dimension. Nonetheless, he was happy that the levels of Zora's timidness had declined. The girl seemed much more relaxed now than on Earth, and she displayed much more of that childish wonder when walking through the castle and dining at a table large enough for twelve families to dine at, as though she still couldn't believe that this was now her life.

Some of that newfound liveliness showed itself as Zora outstretched her arms towards Marco. She wasn't a very vocal person, perhaps because, as Marco had to admit to himself, neither he, Star or Zora were fully used to the prospect of being a family, so some things were still awkward for them - _albeit Star was taking her role as Zora's guardian very seriously_ \- therefore remaining silent and communicating with simple gestures that got the message across saved all of them a fair share of embarrassment.

Marco smiled and picked the girl up and placed her atop his shoulders. Zora really loved looking down on people, which was a bit scary, now that he thought about it.

Their moment of bliss lasted but a moment as it was interrupted by a certain blonde princess, who cleared her throat to grab their attention. Marco turned around to face her standing in the doorway and noticed her expression on ire. Star, like him, was dressed in her royal gown and had her crown atop her head. She would look really cute if she didn't look so terrifying as she kept glaring at him and tapping her foot.

Marco swallowed and chuckled nervously, fully aware of the trouble he was in.

"Marco Ubaldo Diaz, I cannot believe you!" barked Star, shooting him an impatient glare as she walked up to him and removed Zora from his shoulders, hugging the girl to herself. "You promised me you would take her to my mom for her Mewman history lecture, not play hide and seek in the castle!"

"C'mon, Star, loosen up a little!" It felt odd that he was the one telling Mewni's own reckless princess to relax and not take things too seriously. Truly, an odd occurrence, one that had been repeating itself regularly for the last month. "Is it really that important for her to learn about a few dead guys? She's a kid."

For a brief second, Zora wanted to protest against being called a kid but figured that it would benefit her more if she simply stayed quiet. She would allow the comment to slide.

This time.

"Loosen up? This isn't funny, Marco." Star sat Zora down carefully, all while keeping eye-contact with the boy. "We're walking on _very_ thin ice," declared Star with a worried expression. "If one of Mewni's nobles shows up and sees us goofing off instead of doing the stuff we promised, then we're gonna be in big trouble. Like, really big trouble." Star made a gesture with her hands by clasping them together then outstretching each arm to the side as wide as it could go. "I expected you of all people to be aware of this!"

"Star, calm down," said Marco, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What's gotten into you lately? I haven't seen you goof off in over two weeks." He'd rarely if ever seen the princess so stressed, and it was clear that she couldn't handle the stress too well. It's not that he didn't share any of her concerns, but he didn't approach them in such a frantic manner.

"Listen, I'm fully aware of the situation we're in, but we can't just act like a bunch of robots," said Marco. "Besides, it was just a stupid game, and where's the harm in that? It's not like we're being watched or anything, so we may as well try and enjoy ourselves, right?"

There was no harm in a little fun. Marco expected her of all people to understand that much. It was rather funny how their roles had switched in such a short amount of time, with him trying to have fun and Star attempting to enforce an anti-fun polity; at least when it came to anything and everything involving Zora.

Star finally sighed in defeat and nodded, casting a downcast smile at the boy.

"Sorry," she apologised. "I just don't want anything bad to happen, you know?"

"And neither do I, but I think we're entitled to have a little fun every now and then." Marco took her hand and smiled lovingly at her. She looked him in the eyes and he could tell that her mood was gone. "There's no need to worry so much, Star. You've been overworking yourself and trying way too hard there last few weeks. Just loosen up a bit and stop worrying so much. Everything'll be fine, I promise."

Hearing those words planted a smile on the princess' lips, and she nudged closer to Marco and abruptly brought them closer to his, capturing them in a light kiss.

"Yuck..." Zora declared and shuddered in disgust. No matter how many times they did it, she couldn't tolerate the sight.

Star and Marco ended their wordless exchange of affection and Star sighed deeply.

"Maybe you're right," said Star. "But for some reason, my gut keeps telling me that something bad's gonna happen. What if you or me or Zora gets hurt or worse?"

"Well tell your gut that he's wrong because absolutely nothing bad is gonna happen, not on my watch." Marco didn't say that just to comfort her, he was determined to protect his two girls.

Star smiled mischievously and turned to Zora.

"Did you hear that? _Daddy_ over here is awesome, right?"

"Hey!" barked Marco, blushing at Star's remark. "Don't call me that!"

Both girls laughed in unison and Marco growled throatily.

Star's expression shifted back to a serious one.

"Do you really think I'm worrying over nothing?"

"Yes, yes I do. As long as we play our parts in public and take our responsibilities seriously, which we have been doing, need I remind you, then we can do whatever the heck we want while in here, and as much as I like learning more about Mewni, I wanna have some fun and just chill with the two of you," he smiled at the two girls. "It's not like we'd be breaking any rules or anything," he added.

Star rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but next time you play hooky with her, at least tell me about it."

"Weren't you the one who did the exact same thing but worse awhile ago?"

"Hey! That was-"

"Princess Star and Prince Marco," a voice called out, putting a halt to their dispute. The trio looked towards the source and saw one of the many servants standing in the doorway.

"What is it, Harold?" Star asked.

"Her Highness and his Majesty request your immediate presence in the throne room, and they've asked to bring the young Princess Zora with you."

Star exchanged a curious glance with Marco, who shrugged. It was odd for her mother to send a servant to fetch them, and they usually talked during dinner, so for her to call them to the throne room so suddenly meant that it was something urgent.

"Tell her we'll be there right away."

"Yes, my princess." Harold bowed and exited the room.

"Huh, your mom never calls for us like this," Marco commented.

"I know. Something's up, so let's hurry over there and find out what." Star turned to Zora. "You wanna walk or do you want a ride?"

"Ride please."

Star smiled and picked Zora up and placed her on her shoulders, and the trio made for the throne room.

* * *

 **A/N: Cutting this one a little short so you guys won't have to wait even longer. Remember to leave feedback! 'Till next time (hopefully without any more delays; again, sorry...)**

 **Bye!**


	61. Chapter 10: Part 2

**Hi, friends! I'm just gonna briefly get a few things out of the way; I was taking prep. courses last week and have begun my new semester, so I will be switching back to the 1 update per 2 weeks scheme that most of you are probably accustomed to. There may come times when I'll be exceedingly busy and won't update for up to 3 weeks, but rest assured, the story will continue. The second thing I want to mention is that this week's update was delayed due to me attending special seminars at my faculty, and I have been reaching out to one of my mentors in regards to my (almost completed) fantasy novel. If all goes well, I'll send the first draft to a publisher by the end of the year, and I'll see where it goes from there. Once my novel is released, I'll probably mention the name as well as provide a link for anyone interested. I'll also post the first 1-2 chapters somewhere to give everyone the option of deciding for themselves whether they'll want to read it in its entirety or not.**

 **archivewriter3: Well then, this one is a bit longer :P**

 **Rock Raider: Yes and no, this is where things take a turn. As for Buff Frog, well, you'll find out.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **A Thirst for Vengeance**

 **Part 2**

On the edge of their vision, far in the distance, the two guardsmen posted at the gates of the Mewman province spotted two small dots approaching the gate. As they drew closer, the guardsmen could make out the silhouettes of two figures, one taller than the other.

The two guardsmen exchanged a look and a nod, took their weapons in hand and waited patiently at the gates for the two figures to arrive and announce themselves.

Upon drawing to a distance of about a hundred or so yards, one of the guardsmen shouted to the two figures, the first, a woman, and the other a girl, both with hoods over their heads, to halt in place and both obeyed without protest.

"I'll inspect, you stay here in case there's trouble," one guard told the other and walked over to the two figures, keeping his sword aimed at the ground but ready to pounce if the need arose. With the recent increase of monsters roaming the area and some even sneaking into the castle walls only to be subdued thereupon, the guards were ordered to stay on the highest of alerts, even when facing two as seemingly harmless figures as the hooded girl and woman.

"Who are you and what is your business?" asked the guard.

"We're here to seek counsel with Queen Moon Butterfly," said the girl. "May we enter?"

"Pfft!" the guard scoffed. "Are you joking? Our Queen lacks the time to deal with two peasants. If you wish to talk to her in person, you must first announce yourselves in advance and wait for permission to see her majesty."

"Oh, but that would take so awfully long," the woman replied. "Besides, I do believe I am overdue a meeting with dear old Moon by quite some time."

The guardsman arched an eyebrow at the hooded woman.

"And who exactly are you?"

"Oh, goodness me, where are my manners today?" The woman said with a chuckle and reached for the hem of her hood. "Allow me to introduce myself," she said, pulling back her hood and revealing her face, upon which the guard dropped his weapon and stared in shock at the face that was a mirror-image of his queen apart from the purple hair and purple eyes, a smile so sweet yet so sinister adorning her red lips, and her piercing gaze sent shivers down the guardsman's spine.

"That was easy," said the smaller figure as the two were now walking towards castle Mewni. She pulled her hood back, revealing herself to be none other than Jackie. "What happens now?"

"Now?" The woman giggled. "Now, my dear daughter, the fun truly begins. Very soon, Mewni will be ours."

"What about... you know...?" Jackie reached into her pocket and drew forth a sharp blade inscribed with odd symbols and rimmed with gold, the handle of which was in the odd shape of a mermaid. She looked up at the woman questioningly.

"That, my daughter, is for you to decide."

Unbeknownst to the Mewmans, their Kingdom was headed towards its doom.

 _ **Castle Mewni, Throne Room**_

Star, Marco and Zora at last reached the central and arguably the most important segment of the castle and were greeted merrily upon arrival as River ran over to them and immediately kidnapped Zora from Star's shoulders, put her atop his own and began running willy-nilly all about the throne room at a frightening pace as Zora giggled and laughed.

Star and Marco exchanged a warm smile and interlocked their hands.

When they announced their abrupt move to Mewni and their decision to adopt Zora into the Butterfly family, they were worried about how their decision would be received. At first, Moon and River stared at them, shell-shocked, uncertain how to respond. Just when the two teenagers thought that they would get the scolding of their lives, the royal couple (River in a more literal sense) jumped from joy and rushed over to embrace the three and their newly-adopted granddaughter. Despite hardly knowing her, both Moon and River welcomed her as their own without any hesitation whatsoever and rushed to make the announcement public, sending out numerous messengers to the villages and towns of Mewni.

As expected, the announcement was received with mixed emotions. Some were happy that the ruling family had a new heir to the throne while others, mainly nobles, found the prospect of introducing a girl with no noble background into the royal family and breaking the age-old Mewman tradition abhorrent, but sent their best wishes nonetheless, although Star pointed out that they were just trying to kiss up to them, to which all present agreed.

The next few days that followed were very hectic for the newly-arrived trio. First, they had to go to the Mewman council and announce that Star's exile would be pardoned for the sake of raising the new heir on Mewni, to which they begrudgingly agreed under the condition that Star and Marco be wed. The two then explained that they had already agreed on a date, namely Star's 18th birthday, which took the council by surprise. At first, they called it an outrage and an offence to the sacred mewman marital laws, but Marco pointed out that there existed no such law that determined how far in advance the wedding could be set, after which the council fell silent and, after a brief reviews of the laws wherein they found confirmation for Marco's claim, allowed Star's planned exile an early end and she was officially re-granted the title of princess that she'd been formally stripped of after her previous wedding fiasco.

Once those formalities were settled, they went on a restless and sleepless 5-day trip around the main province, as Marco summarised, parading Zora instead of doing anything remotely useful with their time. A rotten tomato or two were thrown at them and they saw the occasional disproving glance from a few villagers and townspeople, but overall, they were received much better than anticipated, which was relieving.

The only noteworthy incident that occurred was when they arrived in one of the more remote villages only to discover that it was being raided by a group of monsters. The event ended on a positive note, for once Star and Marco and a few of the guardsmen accompanying the carriage were done subduing the monsters and the townspeople were safe once more, they were both applauded and wished the best of fortune. The monsters were then piled onto several prisoner wagons and hauled to the castle's dungeons where they could keep Toffee company, although Marco questioned whether it was a good idea to do so, but Moon and River assured him that it would be alright. He didn't fully trust their word.

Upon returning to the castle, sleepy and worn out, they were given a night of well-deserved rest. The three were all assigned to the same bedchamber. Zora was given her own room while Star and Marco were assigned to the same one, a decision that was deemed mandatory and left the two teenagers blushing madly. The moving in was a huge blur and Marco recalled River dragging him away from the others at some point and saying something about ending him should he find out that the boy had done anything 'indecent' with his baby girl, and Marco assured him that no such thing would happen, which River was pleased to hear.

The next morning, the trio headed down for a truly royal breakfast and were thereafter given their assignments for the coming weeks. Zora would spend far too much time attending classes on proper princess behaviour, Mewman history, battle tactics (this was the course she was least fond of), resource management, politics and various other subjects, all of which would build up the skills she would one day need if she was to assume the title of Queen. Marco frowned upon seeing her schedule and pointed out that this was far too much for a six-year-old to handle, and while Moon was in agreement with that, not much could be done about it since Zora had a lot of catching up to do. When he asked if Star had taken the same courses, Moon replied 'she was definitely physically present at all of them' and left it at that. Somehow, Marco wasn't surprised.

But he didn't have much time to worry about Zora's schedule since his own was stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving; if Zora had a lot of catching up to do, then he was chasing a high-speed bullet train. He spent an entire week attending prince-to-be and king-to-be classes from sun-up to sun-down since they wanted to stuff as much information into his cranium as mewmanly possible in the shortest amount of time possible. Being a fast learner, it didn't take Marco that long to get a good grasp of things and even improve certain aspects of his teachings, so once the hellish week was over, Moon assigned him to oversee the cross-kingdom trades and general resource management as the boy had displayed a gift for keeping things overly-organised.

As for Star, she spent the majority of her time with Moon, and for good reasons. Albeit the Mewman Queen was certainly thrilled about Star assuming such a great responsibility with the adoption of Zora, she also didn't see her old enough to be a mother - or rather mature enough since she herself was not much older when she gave birth to the blonde-haired, hyperactive princess - and thus wanted to help her get a hang of the ropes and teach her some of the most important things. This didn't have all of the intended results as Star took some things too literally and thus became somewhat overprotective of Zora, and at some point, she called a search party to go looking for the girl when she went to the bathroom without informing her first. Moon didn't point out Star's needlessly-frantic behaviour since she only had herself to blame. Thankfully, and surprisingly, Marco acted as the counterweight and allowed Zora much more freedom, explaining how she "was just a kid and there was no harm in letting her goof around as kids do," which resulted in many small arguments between Star and Marco over what was best for the small girl, and sometimes one would concede the argument, sometimes the other. Mon was tempted to step in at times, but flashbacks or her arguments with River that were not all that different from Star and Marco's popped up whenever she was about to speak up, and she would then chuckle to herself and leave them to figure it out, which they usually did.

And so the trio slowly settled into their lives at the castle.

Marco and Star approached Moon, and the formed greeted the Mewman Queen.

"You wanted to see us?" he asked, and Moon nodded.

The two teens noticed that Moon was not in a particularly cheerful mood as her husband, and their smiles were replaced with deadpan looks of slight concern.

"Mom, are you ok?"

Moon sighed and stared at the two for a time, then turned around and briskly added, "Come."

She led them to one of the small side-rooms of the throne room. Awaiting them inside were two mewman generals standing on opposite ends of a wooden table across which lay a map of the Mewman kingdom. The two soldiers were placing and moving around numerous small figures shaped like mewman soldiers and monsters, the latter of which were clustered together on certain points of the map. It didn't take long for Marco to discern that they were probably discussing the attacks that had been going on and interfering with many trade-routes and raiding villages and smaller towns. By the looks of things, the monsters had made in deeper into the kingdom, as the figures showed.

"No, no, no!" one of the generals, a woman with dark hair that just brushed her shoulders yelled at the other general, a man slightly taller than River and nearly as broad, as she slammed her fist on the table and knocked over several of the figures. "This is a terrible plan! We need more units defending the south!"

"So they'll more easily come flooding through the west? I think not!"

"I haven't heard you suggest anything better! We lack the troops to execute your plan!"

"Then we'll just recruit some of the farmers! No big deal!"

"Men-at-arms against trained monsters? Are you joking?"

"Lady Rayden, Sir Digby, enough with the shouting."

The two generals froze and looked towards the source of the commanding voice and bowed immediately.

"I apologise, my Queen!" they both exclaimed in unison.

Moon sighed irritably and ordered them to rise up. Marco edged closer to the table and gave it a good look.

"My Prince," said Lady Rayden. "I will explain everything in a moment, you see-"

"Huh, so they've managed to get this close?" Marco commented. He honestly wasn't surprised that the monsters were progressing so rapidly given that he'd deemed the Mewman army as utterly incompetent. "I should have mentioned this sooner..."

Lady Rayden blinked a few times, then cleared her throat and spoke awkwardly, "Well, um, yes, your highness. Unfortunately, the force with which the monsters have been pressing us has been far greater than anything we'd anticipated."

"After Toffee was imprisoned, we were hoping that they would just give up and go home," Sir Digby added, arms folded. He scoffed. "Damn monsters!"

"But we've been piling more and more of our resources into supplying our soldiers, how could you allow this to happen?" Moon asked in a scornful tone.

"My Queen," Lady Rayden spoke, "with all due respect, our troops are more than capable to put an end to this blight in a fair fight, but those beasts keep using Guerilla tactics and refuse to engage in fair combat. There are just too many small raiding groups. The moment we restation one of our regiments, they attack another unguarded area. We just don't have enough men to go around to defend every plot of land, I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault," Moon said in an apologetic tone. "It was harsh of me to put the blame on you, but I'm just tired of hearing that this or that town has been raided or destroyed."

"Can't we just ask for some help?" asked Star. "We're friends with the Lucitors and the Pony Heads, why not just ask them to send a few soldiers over and help us out?"

"I don't want to resort to asking for help."

"Why not?"

"Star, you'll understand this when you're older, but a ruler has to show no weaknesses. If any of the kingdoms we're not friends with were to find out we've been weakened and are seeking aid, they could use the opportunity to pressure us into accepting various unfavourable agreements to ensure they won't use the opportunity to attack us or any of our allies," Moon explained calmly.

"Well, we have to do something about this, don't we? We can't just sit here and do nothing! Let me go out there and-" Star reached for her wand, only to remember that it was no longer in her possession. "Argh, never mind..." she grumbled, and Marco pat her on the back a few times to cheer her up.

"I am working on a solution to this problem, but this isn't what I wanted to speak about. These aren't your problems to deal with." Moon clapped her hands twice and dismissed the two generals from the room. "Good, now that we're in private, I need to talk to the two of you."

"Ok? Talk about what, mom?"

Moon went silent for a moment before answering. "It's about Marco's magic. I think I know why he has the ability to use it so effectively despite being a mere human."

 _Mere human? Aren't I Star's boyfriend?_ Marco took her comment with a grain of salt, then said, "Wait, how do you know that?" He didn't doubt Moon's level of intelligence since he did perceive her as a very smart Queen and one of the wisest people he'd ever met, but how could she possibly know anything about his magical powers?

"Marco, non-magical beings don't have the inborn gift of magic. You are the first human to have ever cast a spell successfully, and you don't have magical heritage, so there's only one logical explanation; someone imbued you with it."

"I don't remember anyone shoving a wand down my throat."

"No, but something did happen that infused you with magic and it was by someone _with_ a wand." Moon looked at Star.

"Huh, me?"

Moon nodded calmly. "You see-"

"My Queen! My Queen!" Lady Rayden came bursting through the door, startling all three. "There's someone here to see you."

"Rayden! Who in the Underworld is so important that you had to break down the door just to announce their presence?"

"Well... **You!** "

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 **'Till next time!**


	62. Chapter 10: Final Part

**Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **Sugar: Yes, but which decision IS the right one?**

 **Bedrock Armor: I've just taken into account that the majority of my audience is American, so I'm trying to include some 'more American' sayings.**

 **archivewriter3: This mini-arc has reached its climax, and now comes the major arc that will at long last shed light upon everything! But be warned, it is NOT a happy tale...**

 **Rock Raider: Yes, he has, and it was directly caused by her. As a matter of fact, you all already know how she imbued him with magic. And the attacks have already served their purpose. And yes, in the following chapters, you will finally learn the truth about this woman, but be warned, things finally take that dark turn I've been promising since day 1.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 9**

 **A Thirst for Vengeance**

 **Final Part**

 _ **Dungeons, Castle Butterfly**_

In the depths of the castle, deep underground where no light could reach was a dark and damp place reserved for only the foulest of scum and the vilest of evildoers. If one found themselves locked up in one of the iron cages that lined along the walls, a feeling of despair would quickly settle in, followed by a feeling of resentment that would quickly turn to rage; a boiling rage against those that threw one in there and threw away the key.

Yet such a rage was the last thing Toffee felt as he sat on his bed and stared aimlessly ahead of himself, listening to the sound of his other jail-mates, the majority of them being his fellow monsters that were captured during their attacks and spared death for a fate some would consider being much, much worse.

All of those monsters, locked up in the same place, deep within the Mewman capital.

Toffee smiled a sinister smile to himself.

"I thought you were smarter than this, Moon," he said aloud to nobody in particular and stood up from the bed to stretch himself. Being locked in a dungeon didn't allow one much freedom for exercise, but at least they were considerate enough to bring him a new suit every day. He was surprised that after all these years, Moon still kept his old suits in the castle, and what's more surprising was that they all still fit like a glove.

Then again, Moon was one to never let go of the past, always worrying about the days of yesteryear, even when she was but a young girl.

Which made him wonder...

 _No, impossible._

Toffee heard footfalls echoing in the distance. His lizard eyes narrowed to better focus on their source, and upon recognising a familiar figure in the shadows, he smiled a wry smile.

"Mewni, thine end has come."

 _ **Throne Room, Castle Butterfly**_

The room was as silent as a funeral hall. All were silent as though in mourning. A pair of footfalls were resounding, step by step by step, as two hooded figures slowly walked towards the throne, the spears of the guardsmen pointed at them.

Star, Marco and Moon - the latter of whom had assumed her position on the throne - watched them approach. Marco and Star exchanged a curious glance, unsure why the air suddenly felt so tense.

River and Zora ceased their frolicking about and the King brought his niece to Star's side, then assumed his position on the throne next to Moon's.

"Whatever happens, allow me to handle it," Moon said sternly to all present while keeping her iron stare locked on the two figures, particularly the taller one.

"Why? Who is that?" whispered Star. Her mother didn't answer, so she tried again. "Psst! Mom! Who is that?"

"Not now, Star!" Moon hissed.

"I just wanna know!"

"Star, I said-"

"Come now, the girl has a right to be curious." For a moment, Star thought it was her mother who'd said that, but soon realised that the voice, although sounding like hers, belonged to another. She turned her gaze towards the tall, womanly figure, and noticed a smirk underneath the hood of her robe. She and the smaller figure stopped some feet before the two thrones, and the woman added, "Although, given how much effort you've put into hiding my existence from everyone, I can't say I' surprised by your actions."

"You dare insult our Queen!" a guard yelled from the side and drew his weapon. The other guards followed suit and surrounded the two figures.

The woman sighed.

"This again..."

With a snap of her fingers, the oncoming guardsmen collapsed unto the floor, dropping their weapons, unable to stand up. The woman smiled sinisterly as all but Moon and stared at her dumbstricken.

"Well, your guardsmen do lack manners. You really should uppen your standard."

"River chose them."

"You let your husband be the one in charge of the security around this place?"

"Yes."

"I don't think that was the brightest idea..."

The comment angered River, but he was unable to speak up as the woman continued.

"You know, I've managed to enter rather easily. I thought your warriors would present at least some retaliation."

"Knowing you, I could have had sorcerers guarding the castle and you'd still get through."

"Well, true. But they just let us in! Not a single person stopped to properly interrogate us!"

"Um, not to sound rude or anything," Marco cut in, grabbing the attention of the two women, "but could someone tell us exactly what is going on here?"

"I'll do you one better, boy."

Both figures promptly pulled their hoods back to reveal their faces, and all looked on with wide eyes as they recognised both figures, their shock more than apparent.

"M- _mom_?" Star looked at her mother with a dumbfounded look, then at the woman, then at her mom, then at the woman; this went on for a time until Marco snapped his fingers before her face, breaking her daze. The princess rubbed her eyes and opened them as wide as she could.

Nope, there was no mistaking it. Whoever that woman was, she resembled Moon to near-mirror perfection, and the only things that made the two distinguishable from each other were the spade marks on the mysterious woman's cheeks and a deep purple dress.

Marco, too, was in shock, but his had another origin, namely that of the girl standing beside the mysterious woman, wordlessly gazing in his direction.

"J-Jackie?" he uttered the girl's name as a whisper that barely reached her ears. The girl looked off to the side, concealing her evident shame. After a time, she sighed and gazed at Marco and Star, giving them a thin, ashamed smile.

"Hey, guys... Um... How've you been?" she asked awkwardly.

"Uh... good... thanks for, um, asking..."

"Oh, s-sure thing..."

Their awkward exchange ended abruptly. The woman by Jackie's side giggled girlishly and cast Moon an amused look.

"Ah, teenagers. They really are some of the most amusing of creatures, you never know what they'll do." Her smile turned to a sinister one. "Right, Mona?"

"Mona? Who's Mona?" Star asked her mother with an arched eyebrow, but the Queen of Mewni did not provide an answer for her, instead choosing to respond to the woman.

"Yes, one never knows what they'll do when put in situations like this, especially when they are put in situations beyond their control. You should know this better than anyone, _Diana_."

The woman's smile grew wide upon hearing her name uttered. "So we're still going by a first-name basis? Splendid! I'm glad we're still friends after all these years."

"We were never friends, Diana," replied Moon with a flat tone. "We were... something... but not friends," she added, nearly stumbling on her own words.

"Always so prideful. You haven't changed one bit... Splendid! This will make things a lot more fun," replied the woman with a meek enthusiasm and giggled. "But anyway, I'm afraid we'll have to cut our little meeting short, Mona. You know why we're here."

At this, Moon staggered, then nodded evenly.

"Yes, I know." she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and added, "A deal is a deal, after all."

"Darling, what _are_ the two of you talking about?" River asked in a concerned tone, looking at his wife with worried eyes. "I've never seen that woman before? Did the two of you hold a secret meeting or something? And who exactly is she?" He paused briefly. "And why does she look like you?" He them stumbled on his words and blabbered awkwardly, "Well, I mean, of course not exactly, say, as beautiful or as majestic, but-"

"I understand, River."

The diminutive king's eyes widened upon hearing her utter his name. She did so only on two occasions; when they were being 'intimate' with one another, or when something was seriously wrong. And unless he was mistaken, it was definitely the former reason this time, which made him all the more concerned about the strange woman.

But the adults weren't the only ones who had things to say.

"Jackie, what are you doing here?" asked Marco, worried. He had questions the answers of which were long overdue.

Jackie didn't answer immediately. She dropped the robe from her body and reached around her neck and removed her trademark seashell necklace, and threw it at Moon. The pendant landed before the queen's feet, and Marco looked at Jackie in confusion.

"Let her explain!" she said with such resentment in her voice that Marco looked on in shock.

All gazes locked unto her, Moon knelt down and picked up Jackie's necklace. She twisted it in her hands, inspecting every inch of the seashell pendant. She smiled redolently as she stood up and aimed her gaze at Jackie. The girl and the woman kept their gazes interlocked, the former smiling and the latter's eyes burning with hatred.

"You're all grown up, I see. After that day... I-I thought you were dead..." The distant voice with which those words were uttered made it seem as though the Queen was relieved at the development of things. But they failed to evoke any sympathy or cheer from Jackie, who spoke with a cold, resentful voice.

"I was pretty damn close, believe me." Jackie snapped back at Moon, each word sounding more bitter than the last. "But yeah, I'm still alive, unlike the thousands of my people you and your goons killed!"

The eyes of the four onlookers widened, and Diana grinned venomously.

"Now now, let's not spoil everything at once," said Diana, giggling. Upon hearing those words, Jackie took a few deep breaths and nodded.

"R-right. Sorry, mother."

"Mother?" Marco asked curiously, scratching his head in confusion. "Jackie, I've met your parents, and I don't remember ever seeing her."

"..."

"Jackie?"

"Do not delve too deep into those waters, boy. You may not like what lurks within the depths," warned Diana, and aimed her gaze at Moon, leaving Marco silenced. "Tell me, Mona, and be honest: do you wish to pin the blame for your actions unto me?"

"...Yes, I do, but I've only myself to blame. In the end, it was I who made the call. You merely obscured my mind enough to make me think it was truly the correct course of action to take at the time."

"Obscured? Hardly," replied Diana, offended. "I do believe I had made things abundantly clear back then. I obscured nothing. In the end-" Diana put a hand on Jackie's shoulder. "It was you who stole everything from dear Nerida, and it was I who took her in as my own and nurtured her so that she may one day seek the justice she is due, and that day is today, my dear Mona."

"Nerida? Who's Nerida?" Zora whispered cautiously to Star and Marco, who simply shrugged and listened on to Diana, completely entranced.

"Indeed, whoever could she be?" asked Diana and chuckled, enjoying her little game that was leaving many confused. "Tell them, Mona. Don't be shy, now. Tell them _everything_."

Moon nodded obediently, conceding to Diana's demands.

"Nerida was the daughter of Queen Ula and King Tethys of the Merfolk, who dwell in the Oceania dimension. She was presumed dead after..." Moon stopped then and there. The words left unspoken were Pandora's box, and thus she uttered them not. Seeing such a pathetic display made Diana chuckle heartily. The provocation willed Moon to continue, but she derailed the topic, "Nerida, she- her mother Ula always wore a seashell pendant that allowed her to traverse the mainlands for a longer period of time without transforming into her natural mermaid form. It was also a symbol of the royal family, and supposedly, she gave it to her daughter the day before she was executed." Upon finishing the explanation, Moon's grip on the seashell necklace Jackie had thrown at her tightened, and while the others still did not fully understand, to their surprise, it was Zora whose mind was the quickest to piece the puzzle together.

"Wait! That's her, isn't it!" The small girl cried and pointed her index finger at Jackie. "She's Nerida, right?"

Diana laughed.

"Well, it looks like the girl is quite the observant one," she stated, smiling an oddly satisfied smile. _Excellent._

Marco looked shellshocked at the sudden realization, as did the others, and so looked at Jackie, eyes wide.

"J-Jackie, you're..."

The girl gave a slow nod and looked on."

"I was-" she raised a finger at Moon. "Until she took it all away from me. Everything! And now-" Jackie knelt down and grabbed her cloak, and pulled out the sharp blade with the mermaid handle, that glittered as ice, aimed at the Mewman Queen. "Now I'm here to settle things once and for all..."

A voice so bitter, so grim, so filled with hate; none could believe their ears, especially not the two teenagers who'd until recently called the knife-wielding girl their beloved friend.

"Jackie, wait! Why do you want to take revenge on my mom?"

"Why!?" Jackie chuckled rather hysterically, and Marco felt chills creeping down his spine. There was no way that this was the Jackie Lynn-Thomas he'd known for well over a decade, his mind refused to believe it. And yet, there was no doubting it. This was Jackie, the same Jackie that was casting a vengeful gaze towards Moon, and spoke in a resentful tone, "Have you not heard a single word!? Do you have any idea what I've had to go through because of her!?"

Her maddened cry echoed loudly throughout the room, and an eery silence befell.

"Mom," it was Star who broke it, finally grabbing her mother's attention. She then asked, fearing the answer as though it were death itself, "What did you do?"

"H-honey?" River uttered, but Moon didn't answer and instead stared on expressionlessly.

Diana chuckled.

"Go on, Mona. Tell them, are need I do so?"

Moon closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath through her nose. She exhaled and slowly opened her eyes.

"Alright, Diana. You win."

"I always do," the woman said in a smug fashion, grinning evilly.

Thus the Queen of Mewni told her tale, and none were left the same thereafter.

 _ **End of Chapter 10!**_

* * *

 **The next few chapters will be longer since they will tell a separate arc of the story, namely Moon's past and her relationships with Diana, Toffee and the monsters, and Jackie. This chapter was more or less just a prologue for the next one that will span for 4-5 updates, each focusing on a part of Moon's past.**

 **1\. How she met Diana**

 **2\. Her time with Diana**

 **3\. Her acquaintance with Toffee, the Monsters and Jackie (possibly divided into 2 parts)**

 **4\. What she did and why Jackie hates her.**

 **I expect to have it out in about 2 weeks (hopefully, because I am busy as heck...)**

 **See you guys then.**

 **-jolleIQ**


	63. Chapter 11: Part 1

**A/N: Well, another one bites the dust! Just 5-6 more updates to go! Woo!**

 **Sugar: *Laughs evilly* Be afraid. Be _very_ afraid...**

 **Rock Raider: We ain't goin' to Wonderland anytime soon, boi.**

 **archivewriter3: Sorry, life got in the way.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Queen's Lament**

 _It happened some years_ ago _when Star was but an infant; in a time years before Mewni attained the title of the most powerful kingdom of the realms of magic; in the days of my youth, when the troubles of the world were yet foreign to me and I knew only the joys of being a young queen in training, precisely a year after I had received the royal magical wand from my mother, Cressida. Believe it or not, back in those days of bliss and beatitude, I knew not the bothers of the world and the web of politics surrounding the kingdom on a day-by-day basis. Back then, I was what one would call... happy. Had I known that the world I knew back then was about to shatter, maybe I would have acted differently, and perhaps sorrow could have been avoided._

 _But in order to fully understand the events that transpired, we first need to look even further into the past, to a time when I was but five years of age. It happened on a midsummer night, if I recall correctly, and it sent me spiralling down this path towards the abyss. Back in the days of my childish innocence, I wasn't allowed much freedom. I spent most of my days within the protection of the castle walls, although it seemed more like confinement than living. You may not be aware of this, but the royal daughters had little freedom until they reached a two-digit age; I can confirm that, and so can Star. But putting that aside, I was not allowed visitors or friends that weren't of noble blood, so the chances for meeting someone my age were scarce, and that's putting it mildly. I was lonely and longed for a friend._

 _Little did I know of the consequences of my selfish desire._

 _Listen, for I shan't repeat the tale._

 _This is my tale to tell._

 _ **Castle Mewni**_

With tower peaks tall enough to touch the sun and walls strong enough to fend off an entire army of invaders, the royal castle stood as the centrepiece of the Mewman kingdom, a true crown-jewel of power and awe-striking providence, one that had been harbouring their royal families for as long as the kingdom had stood, and would continue to do so for many generations to come, no doubt, for none dare challenge the might of the royal family and the Mewman army, led by none other than the king and queen themselves, along with the dozens of generals whose tactical prowess had withstood many a force.

But rather than being a bastion, the castle served primarily as a training ground for the royal daughters and future queens of the Butterfly lineage. The Mewmans had an odd custom of rulership, one over which they did not have full control. Be it a blessing or a curse brought down upon them by some otherworldly power, for as long as their records stood, not one queen had recorded the birth of more than a single child, no matter how strong the effort and none had been anything but a girl. Thus it had become a tradition that once the acting queen resigned from the position and her husband did the same, the princess would become the head-monarch and rule over Mewni with her sometimes-elected, sometimes-selected king.

For young Moon Butterfly, daughter of Queen Cressida Butterfly and King Neil Butterfly, those worries were approaching fast, much faster than she would have liked.

The youth of a princess was not as merry as depicted in the fairytales of old, where river nymphs hop about singing merry songs, and princess undergoes harsh endurance to prove their unyielding love to their beloveds. While the pampering by the servants and the luxury of residing in an enormous castle were true enough, the rest was filled with hard work, even at the youngest of years. Even now, young Moon was busily studying away, a book placed before her, and her mother by her side to help guide her through the difficult task of learning to read Mewman.

But the young princess wasn't that keen on studying at so late an hour, and she was making sure her mother was aware of that.

"But mum-"

"No buts, dear," Cressida replied, not at all angrily, but explanatorily. "You must learn to read and write properly so that you may become a proper Queen one day."

"But I'm only five, mum! I have many years to learn those things!"

Her protests were valiant ones and Cressida couldn't help but smile and chuckle heartily. The patted her daughter on the head and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, my sweet, precious Mona, how I wish I could spare you these burdens, but alas, doing so would spark an outrage among the royal court. You are so young and already so bright, and yet such burdens are placed upon your shoulders. I will always be here to ease those burdens and help you however I may, but in return, I need to ask the same cooperation from you. There will come a time when you will be allowed to toss these burdens aside and truly enjoy yourself, but until the time is ripe for such antics, do play along, alright?"

Moon frowned but nodded begrudgingly.

"May I at least take today off, mum? I really don't want to learn these things right now..."

Cressida smiled and nodded.

"Of course, my dear. But tomorrow, we will continue with your reading and writing skills, alright?"

"Yes, mum."

"Promise me you'll at least finish reading this page by yourself," Cressida said commandingly, yes lovingly, pointing at the open book.

Moon sighed. "Yes, I promise, mum."

Cressida smiled warmly and hugged her daughter.

"Don't say up too late. I love you, Mona."

"I love you, too, mum."

With a peck on the cheek and another soft hug, Cressida stood up and left the young princess by herself. Moon frowned and gazed at the open book, and spoke, frowning, "Th- thEE, um, F-I-err-R-Z- no, I mean S! And then, uhm, T-TEE- first tr- tr... The first tr... argh!"

The book slammed against the wall audibly, and the young princess slumped in her chair, assuming a not-at-all noble posture.

"This is so boring!" her whiny voice complained. She stood up and gazed out the window, and on the edge of her vision, with narrowed eyes, she spotted children playing in the streets, illuminated by the light of a sole lantern. They were covered with filth and mud and wore clothing that was made of the roughest and most uncomfortable of fabrics, but they looked as though they were having the time of their lives chasing each other around in the muddy streets.

"Why can't I ever go outside and play with other children!"

For as long as she could remember, the castle walls had been her only playground, and there weren't many toys to play with aside from books, and the only people she came regularly into contact with were the teachers that kept piling up study material for her to chew her way through while dying from boredom. It sucked."When I have a daughter, I'll let her have all the fun she wants!" she mumbled, making a personal vow, after which she sighed and walked over to her bed, whereupon she fell face-first unto the soft covers and rolled onto her back. Gazing at the ceiling tapestry that was a depiction of herself in her royal attire, sitting neatly on a luxurious chair with her small crown placed atop of her tiny head, she spoke, "I just wish for a friend..."

This wasn't the first time such a wish was uttered by her lips. How she longed for someone she could relate to; someone with whom she could spend countless nights staying up late, telling scary stories and giggling as the other person shivered from mortal terror; someone her age; someone who could understand her and allow her to be a normal child for once.

Moon sighed, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it tightly as she wallowed in sadness, there amid the red glow of her room.

She froze.

 _Wait, red glow?_

The young princess looked about in alarm. The entire room was bathed in an ominous red light. No matter where she looked, the glow was everywhere. Panic-stricken, she threw the pillow aside and dashed for the door.

Locked.

She tried and tried pulling on the handle, but didn't so much as budge.

After the initial panic wore off, Moon turned around and fearfully darted her eyes from one end of the room to the other in an attempt to find some logical explanation for the red glow. Her eyes soon arrived at the source; her window. The small princess took several tiny steps until she reached the window shelf, then carefully climbed onto it and looked at the sky. Oddly enough, there was nothing there. Normal blackness, normal stars, normal Moon. She turned her head around and looked inside her room, and it was no longer bathed in red. Yet upon climbing off the window, the red glow returned.

She arched an eyebrow and again looked out the window, whereupon she received an answer; the Moon was glowing blood red. She climbed upon the windowsill again, and the Moon returned to its usual colour, and it turned red as soon as she climbed back into her room.

"What's going on?" she wondered aloud. Magic, perhaps? Cressida never mentioned anything about the Moon turning red at random and only being visible from the inside of her room!

And just then, the light faded away. The young princess looked about herself; all was back to normal. She climbed upon the windowsill and gazed inside; normal.

"Hmm..." she mused, rubbing her chin, then shrugged. Whatever that was, it was gone, and it left behind not a single trace.

A sudden drowsiness overtook her.

Moon hopped off the windowsill and made for her bed, tucking herself in and yawning aloud. As she lay in the warmth of her bedsheets, her eyes half-lidded, she heard a giggling, and her eyes shot open in alarm. She sat upright, her gaze drifted from one end of the room to the other. It was far too dark to make anything out, so she reached for the switch of her magic-fueled lamp and illuminated the dark room.

More giggling.

"Hello? Who's there?" When no response came, she added with childish impatience. "Come out here right now!"

Despite her best efforts to sound bold and unafraid, her stuttering and high-pitched voice ruined the whole illusion she was trying to create. She swallowed, audibly, frightened as more giggles resounded within her room. Her eyes were darting from left to right as she tried calming herself down.

"Don't be afraid, Mona. This is a dream! Yes! Just a dream... You... fell asleep at the desk! Yes! You fell asleep and soon you'll wake up any moment now to the warm rays of the sun, and you'll find that there is absolutely nobody else in here besides-"

"Yourself?"

"Ah-!"

The girlish shriek was cut short as the young princess fell from the bed and hit the floor, pulling with her the bed sheets that conveniently softened her landing and prevented any form of injury, only leaving her a bit sore.

"Should have seen that one coming..." the young princess grumbled, righting herself. "So much for courage and pride..."

"You'll get there, young Mona. In time."

Moon gathered her courage and looked ahead. Before her eyes was a spirit of sorts, partially transparent, with no fixed shape or form, glowing faintly purple.

"Who... Who are you?"

The spirit edged closer to the young princess, speaking merrily.

"I am a spirit of the spirit realm, and I've been sent to answer your pleas."

Scratching her head, Moon arched an eyebrow at the girl.

"My please?"

"Ha-ha! No, silly, your _pleas._ Well, your plea, if we wish to be technical about it." The spirit entwined itself around Moon and what appeared to be its head floated mere inches away from the young princess' face. "I've heard your wishes and have come to be your friend!"

"My... friend...?"

Moon's voice, a mixture of alarm and awe. This was strange. While she didn't know much about spirits, her mother kept stressing one thing.

"Spirits are not to be trusted under any circumstances." After a moment of silence, Moon covered her mouth with both hands. She definitely should not have said that in front of a spirit; who knows what manner of vengeance the spirit may seek when angered.

None, as it turned out. It merely giggled, amused.

"Oh, a wise mother. But she neglected to mention to you that this rule applied only towards certain types of spirits. I am not one of those."

"So you're a friendly spirit?"

"Indeed, child. Most friendly, so you have nothing to worry about."

 _Nothing at all..._

Moon scratched her head, lost in thought. One the one hand, this spirit didn't seem evil or threatening, and finally having a real friend would be an awesome experience. On the other hand, she didn't know this spirit that well, and as much as she wanted to trust her, she couldn't do so fully.

Not yet, at least.

"Tell you what," began Moon, choosing the more diplomatic approach. "I'll let you stay here with me for a few days, and if you don't cause any trouble, you can stay for good!"

"An excellent suggestion, my young princess," replied the spirit in a satisfied tone. "But," the spirit continued, "In order for me to fully materialise in your realm and grant your wish, a contract must be signed. A contract in the form of blood."

"Blood?"

"Yes. _Your_ blood." The spirit giggled at Moon's wide-eyed reaction. "Oh, don't worry, it's not a lot of blood. Simply cut your finger and allow me to consume a few droplets, and I shall be at your side from there on out, so long as you'll want me. What say you, young Mona?"

Moon thought deeply about this. A contract in blood. Those didn't tend to end well. But then again, those were normally made by demons, not spirits, so she supposed there was no harm. And besides, how much harm could a single drop of blood cause, right?

"Ok! I'll do it!" The princess declared cheerfully and ran to her table to retrieve something.

"Splendid." The spirit whispered to itself, evidently very satisfied with the outcome.

Young Moon soon returned carrying a small, jewel-adorned dagger.

"My mother always says that I should be prepared to defend myself."

"Leaving a five-year-old alone in the room with a dagger... That's mother of the year material if I've ever seen it..."

Moon laughed heartily at the spirit's comment and proceeded to make the smallest of cuts on her index finger.

"Is that enough?"

"Plenty," replied the spirit and floated what Moon guessed was its head to her finger, then somehow nibbled on the open wound. It was an odd, tingling sensation, as though a group on ants were crawling on her skin. After a few droplets were consumed, the spirit pulled back and was encased in a blinding, bright light with the intensity of the sun at its zenith. Moon was forced to look away and shut her eyes and opened them only once the light had vanished.

Opening her eyes, she couldn't help but gasp at the sight.

It was like looking at a mirror. The spirit had assumed her form, only with a purple dress and two spade marks on its cheeks. But more importantly.

"Oh! So you are a lady spirit!"

The spirit smiled.

"Indeed. Although I must say," she said drearily. "This mortal body is a bit too small for my taste. And it seems so... fragile... But I suppose it will grow in time."

Moon laughed at the comment.

"My mom says I'll be a very strong and tall woman when I grow up!" Moon declared cheerfully and took a few steps towards her new friend. Upon taking her hand, she noticed something odd and put a hand to her cheek only to feel an odd warmth radiating from it. She turned her head towards the large mirror mounted on her wall and saw that her diamonds were glowing with a bright, blue light. She then turned to face the spirit and saw that its cheeks, too, were glowing of a purple colour.

"What's going on?" she asked curiously and let go of the spirit's hand. As soon as she did so, both of their cheek marks ceased shining.

"You act as an anchor keeping my form stable in this world," the spirit explained. "I've tapped into your pool of magic in order to fully manifest myself. Hence our likeliness in appearance, although even I did not account that a mere physical contact would cause our magic to show. Most intriguing."

Moon's eyes widened. "Hey! I never said you could do that!"

"'Twas necessary," the spirit declared, calmly. "But fear not, you'll remain unaffected entirely. Think of it as splitting a piece of bread in two, except that the bread still stays whole. We both get to keep the entirety of it, only that mine is reliant on yours."

"Oh..." It was best to simply nod and act as though one understood such a bizarre explanation. "So... I get to keep all my magic?"

"Quite so."

"Oh. Then I guess it's fine," Moon concluded, shrugging it off as she saw no real reason for concern. The spirit-girl smiled.

"I'm glad we got this sorted out. I think we'll have lots of fun together, Mona."

"Just call me Moon." It was at that moment that the princess realised something. "Oh, I never caught wind of your name."

The spirit-turned-girl smiled a pleasant smile and replied in kind.

"My name cannot be uttered by mere mortals. Just call me.. _Diana_."

 _And thus began our relationship; she was the friend I'd always longed for, and I was the source of magical energy she needed. It was a contract: my magic for her company. Henceforth, we spent our days together in secrecy, for I knew my mother would have gotten angry with me had she discovered my foolish actions. When I was preoccupied with my courtly duties and lectures, she would stay in my room and wait for me so that we may play and converse. When I was asleep, she would watch over me until I wake, and whenever I was sad or moody, she would comfort me with her presence and disperse the rain clouds to bring forth the sunshine. And when my studies were going poorly, she would sit beside me and teach me more about the magical arts for she was skilled in them unlike any I'd ever seen. Before too long, I had become reliant on her for every aspect of my courtly life, and I enjoyed her companionship immensely._

 _Was it friendship? Perhaps, or perhaps not. It was a contract, but could the said contract be seen as friendship?_

 _I often wondered about that, but so long as I had someone to talk to and enjoy my time with, it mattered not what it was. I was happy, and that's all that mattered to me._

 _But I didn't realise at the time that a temporary leisure is a hard bargain for the hardships that follow it._

 ** _To be continued..._**

* * *

 **Well, that's all for now! 'Till next time!**

 **Bye!**


	64. Chapter 11: Part 2

**Yo! I have returned! Basically, I've gotten involved in so many things that my schedule is literally packed from dawn until dusk, Monday 'till Sunday. I won't go into any details, but it includes:**

 **-Projects at my University**

 **-Voluntary work**

 **-Talks with a publisher from Canada**

 **-Having to DM a group of players once each week, and attending another D &D session with another group**

 **-Doing research for 2 scholarly papers me and a mentor from my university are putting together**

 **In short, I am not at all exaggerating when I say that the Christmas and the New Year holidays have finally given me time to get back to this fanfic and finish those last, pesky chapters! As you all know, my academic stuff and my novel writing take priority over anything but rest assured that I won't ever abandon this story that I've worked so hard on and still have more work ahead of myself. All I can say is that I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!**

 **Also, Merry Christmas ^^!**

 **Replies to the latest reviews:**

 **SugarQueen97: My poor, innocent child; you have no idea what I am capable of :)**

 **Rock Raider: You will learn bits and pieces then you'll have to piece together the whole image. Warning: it ain't a pretty one.**

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not claim the right to Star vs. the Forces of Evil or any of the characters that appear in the show. They belong to Disney and the show's creator, Daron Nefcy. I do, however, claim the right to the plot as well as any original characters that may appear in this fic, and would kindly ask you to inform me should you want to use anything from this fic in your own story. -jolleIQ**_

 **Beta read by** _ElleFreak_ **.**

 **Story cover by** _Luzz015_ **. Be sure to check her out on DeviantArt!**

* * *

 **Star vs. The Forces of Evil: Staring it up!**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Queen's Lament**

 **Part 2**

 _And thus passed the years of my youth. Slowly but surely, day by day, month by month, year by year; and before I realised it, the day came when I would inherit the royal magic wand from my mother, Cressida. At this point, I was well beyond the level that I should have been, courtesy of Diana's aid. There seemed to be no spell, no matter how hard or complex to cast that presented to her any trouble whatsoever; she understood each piece of magic to the fullest and taught me, in secret, the art of focusing one's magic without a wand._

 _Therefore, once the day to inherit the wand dawned, I had several questions and worries._

"Will the wand amplify my magic even further?" Moon asked as she busily braided her hair before a mirror. The ceremony was close at hand, and due to the sudden illness of each and every servant fir to groom her and tidy her up, she was forced to do it herself. Well, that wasn't entirely true as Diana stood by her side and combed her hair and put several diamond, emerald and sapphire-pins into her hair, answering the young princess' questions all the while.

"I've explained this before, haven't I? A wand is nothing _but_ a focusing point through which a magic user can channel his or her magic to have it reach cataclysmic proportions. It's quite exhilarating, truly, for in theory, with the right knowledge, even a novice such as yourself could tear a fabric in the space-time continuum and end the world!"

"Hmm... that's good to know. I-I think?" Moon haphazardly replied, then followed up with another question. "But if such a danger exists, then why hasn't anyone done it? If your words bear any truth, then ending the world, let alone conquering a kingdom should be child's play."

Diana giggled.

"My, how silly you are, Moon. I never said 'twas simple, merely possible. As of yet, I've not encountered a mortal neither powerful enough nor wise enough to come close to such levels of power. One would need at least a hundred or so of your mortal lifetimes to even come close to such power levels. I reckon that even if you were to spend your whole life studying under my wing, you could barely manage to put an end to your own kingdom, which is merely a small speck in the cosmos."

"I see."

"Not that such a thing would ever cross your mind, after all-" Diana lifted Moon's hair up and divided it into two equal halves, then began braiding her hair.

"Couldn't you just use magic to make my hair look perfect for the occasion?"

"And where's the fun in that? I may be an immortal spirit, but I do still enjoy the small joys of life."

Moon hummed in approval.

"Say," Moon began hesitantly. Diana gazed at her intuitively. "Hypothetically speaking, what would happen were you to come into possession of the wand? Would it also amplify your powers?"

"..."

"Diana?"

"I-I know not..." Diana had this thoughtful frown on her face, as though the answer should have been obvious enough. "I've never contemplated it, but following the logic, it should further increase my powers, but I know not what that would result in."

"If you ask me, we should try it out!"

"I'd rather not," Diana replied, drily, and smiled as she placed the last jewel in Moon's hair. "There! Lo and behold!"

Moon turned her head from left to right before the mirror to get a good look at her new jewel-dotted braid. She smiled happily and stood up from her seat and spun around with the grace of a ballerina. Or she tried, but promptly tripped and fell flat on her face, upon which Diana snickered.

"I see those dance lessons you've been taking a certainly paying off, Mona."

Moon raised her head and replied with a deadpan look that matched the tone of her voice. "One, it's not funny. Two, don't call me Mona."

Diana smirked mischievously.

"My apologies, Mona."

"Diana! What did I just say!?"

Moon promptly stood up so that she was on eye-level as her purple-eyed, spade-cheeked lookalike, stomped her foot, narrowed her eyes menacingly, and said in a much lower intonation, "Don't call me Mona!"

Diana met Moon's challenging gaze, stepped forward so that their noses practically touched, and whispered, "Mona."

The young princess lunged at her, knocking both of them to the ground, and the two tumbled across the room, giggling all the while. They eventually chased against the bed, and the teenage princess released Diana from her grasp. After a time of laughter, the two 'reconciled' and helped each other up. To both of their reliefs, Moon's hair remained neatly braided and lavishly decorated as not a single sparkling jewel had fallen out.

"Give a girl a warning next time you send her spiralling halfway across the room and crashing into the bed, will you?" Diana said jokingly and Moon rolled her eyes.

"I did warn you not to call me by my birth name. You know I don't even like it when my mother calls me that. I much prefer the name Moon Butterfly."

"I must disagree with your choice," replied Diana, "I like Mona much better. You have poor taste when it comes to names. I dread to ask for the name your offspring shall have to bear."

"I haven't really considered a name for an offspring yet," replied Moon, then chuckled. "After all, I'm still lacking a proper suitor."

"Oh?"

Moon arched an eyebrow at Diana, who stood before her cross-armed and with a suggestive smirk. "Are you now?"

"What are you talking about, Diana?" asked Moon, genuinely clueless.

"Unless I'm mistaken, isn't there a certain prince who fancies you? 'Tis quite transparent."

Moon blinked twice, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"Who? You mean prince River Johanson?" Diana nodded firmly. Moon chuckled at Diana's misinterpretation of the circumstances.

"I mean, 'tis quite obvious that he wishes to court you. Have you not noticed?"

"Oh, Diana, don't be silly." Moon waved it off and rolled her eyes. "Just because he writes me love letters, showers me with gifts, gives me compliments with no end, looks at me with starstruck eyes and jumped at the opportunity to dance with me after the ceremony today doesn't mean he fancies me. He is merely a close friend."

Diana rubbed her chin in thought.

"Hmm... fascinating. Tell me, are mortal females all so dense?"

"What?"

"It's... never mind," Diana dismissed the thought. While the topic was one that had to be addressed sooner or later, there was a far more pressing matter to discuss. "Speaking of a dance, you have two left feet, don't you?"

Moon looked at her in shock. "I beg your pardon!?"

Diana ignored her outburst. "You can't even spin in place without tripping over your own foot, Moon, so it is more than just to assume that you dancing, well, sucks."

"It does not!" Moon retorted.

"Does too."

"Does not!"

"Prove it!"

Moon narrowed her eyes and motioned for Diana to give her some more room. Diana stepped to the side and sat on the bed, then said, "The floor is yours, your highness."

Instead of reaching to Diana's obvious taunt, Moon took a single breath and placed one foot forward, then the other, and immediately tripped and fell to the floor. After two or three repetitions of the stubborn princess' attempt at proving her wrong, Diana sighed.

"Halt! I've seen enough!" she yelled as Moon's face hit the floor for the fourth time. At this point, Moon was becoming a bit dizzy so Diana offered her a hand at getting up, then stared at the princess with a 'you were saying?' look, to which Moon sighed, frustrated.

"Ok, fine! I can't dance! My mother and father tried hiring the best dance teachers in Mewni to prepare me for the ceremonial dance, but three of them told me that I was a lost cause and one of them after five hours of trying to teach me screamed like a madman and plunged himself out the window."

"Well, that explains the maddened scream I heard two days ago. Is he alright?"

Moon nodded.

"Oh, of course. Dad said he went to the dance teacher farm to hang out with other dance teachers!"

"... right, let's go with that..." Diana feigned ignorance and instead opted to address the heart of the matter. "Anyway, your dance is later today, isn't it?" Moon nodded, and Diana continued, "In short, we have but a few hours to teach you to waltz properly."

At that, Moon arched a curious eyebrow at the girl. "You know how to dance?"

Instead of responding with words, Diana smiled, did a small curtsy, and performed five consecutive pirouettes, then glided elegantly over to Moon and with swift steps danced around her, then grabbed her by the hand, lifted it up, and forced the surprised princess into a pirouette of her own, then promptly grabbed her by the waist and pushed her gently to force her into a fall, but caught her mere inches above the ground, then righted her back up on her feet and bowed, leaving the princess baffled.

"Does that suffice as an answer?"

Wordlessly, Moon only nodded, dumbstruck. Diana could only giggle.

"Well then, I suppose I'll simply have to succeed where others have failed spectacularly." Diana clapped twice. "So, no time to lose! Time is of the essence!"

Before Moon could muster up a response, Diana grabbed her by the hands and pulled her closer, so close, in fact, that it made the young princess blush lightly.

"Left foot first!" Diana yelled commandingly and snapped Moon out of her trance. She followed the command, or so she thought.

"No no no!" Diana grabbed her foot and put in back to its starting position. "Again, but more gracefully, not like some stiff old beggar. Left foot first!"

Moon repeated her earlier movement, this time focusing on the movement of her leg being less stiff, then looked at Diana. The spirit-girl sighed.

"Well, it was better than before, at least. If I'd known the situation was this terrible, I'd have given you lessons ages ago. Unfortunately, we're pressed for time, so it'll have to do. Anyway, repeat the movement, then move your right foot."

Moon did as instructed and nearly went deaf as Diana yelled into her ear at the top of her lungs.

"Do you want to learn to dance like a proper lady or do you want to look like a one-legged baboon on the dance floor!? Do the same with your right foot as you're doing with your left!"

Moon swallowed.

Diana sure could get aggressive when it came to dancing.

"Again!"

Again!

 _Again, and again, and again. I don't think my feet have ever been as sore as that night. We spent a good three hours practising move after move right up until it was time for Diana to hide before anyone would catch us. She was the sole reason I didn't blemish myself at the ceremonial dance after I received my wand. I must say, it was fun in a strange sort of way, dancing with a spirit, even if it was tiring._

 _Once the night was over and I was allowed respite within the sanctuary of my own room, she was there waiting for me, as always, and greeted me with a satisfied smile. Apparently, my dancing wasn't entirely horrendous, which I took as words praise._

 _However, this is not why I'm telling you this story. I mean not to simply portray the bond we shared, but more so I wish to stress that which happened after the dance..._

"Isn't it neat?" Moon said whilst admiring her new wand. It was just as she's always envisioned it; a golden sceptre with a heart-shaped sapphire adorning it. Elegant, beautiful, and a true symbol of power that would be the envy of every monarch. Although, the whole ceremony surrounding it was a bit much; maybe she should give her future daughter a break and simply throw the wand to her and let that be that? Yeah, that would work.

"Yes, for the 16th time, it's wonderful..." Diana replied, visibly tired of having to praise the object over and over again. Gosh, mortals could be so unnecessarily posh at times.

Moon took no notice of Diana's mood and sat beside her on the bed.

"I can't wait to try it out tomorrow!"

"Why wait? Just test it out now. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? A giant flaming rainbow that would desecrate Mewni as we know it?"

The two shared a hearty laugh. Yes, jokes were funny.

They liked jokes.

After they'd finished laughing at the absurdity of the hypothetical worst-case scenario, Moon replied, "No, my mother told me not to use it at night. I can wait until tomorrow."

"I wouldn't," Diana replied and shrugged her shoulders as if making a point. "I would test it out as soon as it fell into my hands. No use in saving it, after all."

"Well, do you want to?"

"Pardon?"

"Do you want to test it out?" Moon presented the wand to Diana with an open palm, and the spirit-girl only stared at the object but did not move a muscle. "Go on," Moon urged.

"I don't know... As I've mentioned, even I am uncertain as to what the result will be if I wield it." She attempted to reason with the princess, but Moon was having none of it.

"Oh, don't be such a wussy spirit. Just try it out! You said it yourself: what's the worst that could happen, right?"

Diana thought about it for a few moments, then replied, "I suppose you're right." She slowly reached for the wand and wrapped the palm of her hand around the hilt, then lifted it from Moon's hand and the princess promptly withdrew it.

Suddenly, Diana flinched, her eyes wide and fixed on the sapphire adorning the wand.

When nothing happened, Moon tapped Diana on the shoulder, but the girl did not so much as turn her head to face the princess, instead, she kept her eyes fixed on the wand.

"T-traitor? Me?" Diana suddenly said aloud, startling the young princess.

"Um, Diana? Who are you talking to?"

"No. I... I would never do that! D-Destiny? Fate?"

"D-Diana? What's going on?" Moon was growing anxious as Diana remained locked in a trance-like state, completely oblivious to her words.

"But-but I don't want to do that! Why must I? Why me? _**Why!?**_ "

Upon hearing her scream, Moon slapped her, hard, and that seemed to have done the trick as the girl blinked numerous times.

Moon hesitantly placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, and Diana jumped, startled.

"Is everything alright?" Moon asked, genuinely concerned for her friend.

Diana seemed phased and blinked numerous times, looking about the room with a face the betrayed her confusion. It was almost like she didn't know where she was and was trying to make sense of things. Finally, after a time, she replied with a tiny smile.

"I-I'm quite alright. Yes. Quite alright..." Her voice was a mere gloomy whisper, such that Moon grew genuinely concerned. Diana noticed the worry on Moon's face and smiled a reassuring smile, then added, "It's nothing to worry about. Just... never mind." She returned the wand to its rightful owner. "It's a wonderful object, truly. Wield it with pride."

The princess nodded and the two sat quietly.

 _I never confronted her about it. I know what you're thinking: you fool. You dumb, dumb fool. I know I should have, especially after seeing her in such a state, but I feared that were I to bring the matter up, she would resent me, thus I kept quiet and we never spoke a word of that event as though it never happened. Although, to my own credit, I never ceased wondering what all that had been about, not that it helps me in the slightest._

 _I wonder, had I confronted her about it and unveiled the truth, could I have possibly prevented the tragedy that soon followed? Would the outcome have been different?_

 _No matter how I look at it, I only have myself to blame that the answer will never be known._

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **Good news! The next update will be in about a week or so!**

 **Yay!**

 **As always, reviews, favourites and follows are much appreciated! 'Till next time! Bye!**

 **-jolleIQ**


	65. Not an Update (But Still an Update)

**Hey, guys!**

 **Just a quick update from my side, given that it's been over a month since I've updated the story and a few concerned readers have reached out to me. My reasons for not updating are nothing out of the ordinary: college and a creative block. This month has been way busier than expected due to several projects and additional seminars my mentors urged me to attend, and I've been pretty tired; I'm not joking when I say that I had a week in which I went to the faculty at 7 AM and came back to my dorm between around 8-9 PM every single day. I have about half of the next chapter written, but I just can't wrap my head around a few details, and I don't want to publish it 'just because I have to' since I want it to be as perfect as can be + it is one of the more crucial chapters.**

 **I've got 5 exams this week and the next, but once those are over with, I'll have more breathing space and I'll update it ASAP. But realistically, don't expect the next chapter until next Wednesday.**

 **I thank you for your understanding and for your patience ^^'**

 _ **-jolleIQ**_


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